This Place of Wrath and Tears
by That Random Demon
Summary: Ruby Rose is just an average girl with a dream to become a Huntress one day. She has a loving family, amazing friends, a great life, and everything she could ask for. So, when a nightmarish, godlike being terrorizes her dreams and flips her life upside down, will she stand strong or fall victim to Its dark clutches? (Rated M for violence and language, cover art drawn by me)
1. Prologue

**I don't own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the killers/survivors used by Dead By Daylight.**

* * *

 _The Entity was a patient and crafty creature, but even It had Its limits._

 _It had been growing tired of drawing prey and hunters from only one of the worlds it was aware of, and It had shifted Its attention to other places of interest. Its focus had shifted, grabbing prey and predators from other worlds and dropping them into Its games. It knew that It would need to be patient to get the most out of their fragile bodies before It needed to replace them._

 _Recently (in the broadest sense of the word), It had been both interested in and angered by the world of Remnant._

 _It hadn't seen a world much like the one It created in a long time, one where humans (and a race of part-animal humanoids called Faunus) lived in fear of their hunters. Even if they had their protectors, the constant threat of the dark creatures almost everywhere had forced the humans and Faunus to constantly train new soldiers to fight the creatures of evil. It took a great interest to this world, corrupting the humans and Faunus and forcing them through Its sick and twisted games._

 _However, It had become very... annoyed at this recent development of a particular human bloodline._

 _Even before It knew about them, It had heard of these humans with extraordinary abilities who could conquer the creatures of darkness with ease. These humans were considered beacons of hope amongst the civilized people of Remnant, and It hated them. They always seemed to show up just in time to ruin Its plans, and, despite being patient, It had begun to get fed up with them. It couldn't even drain the hope from them, as whatever it was that their power did also protected them from Its attempts to tear their soul away._

 _But right now, it was pleased._

 _Finally, It had found one of the powerful souls that was young and naive enough to corrupt without fear of her power protecting her. It could do whatever It wanted to her, and all without being noticed by her friends and family. It waited, watching and learning about her, so that when it forced her through the trials, it could claim her soul and use her against Remnant. The silver-eyed warriors would fall, and Ruby Rose would be the one to cause it._

 _Beware, Remnant. Death is no longer an escape._

* * *

 **End of Prologue.**

 **The Nightmare Begins: 11/3/17.**


	2. Chapter 1: Let the Games Begin

**I don't own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the killers/survivors used by Dead By Daylight.**

* * *

Ruby wasn't even sure where she was anymore. She had lost her team after falling through the cracked pavement, and she had decided to wander around, hoping to find a way out. That had been about ten minutes ago, and she couldn't even find her way back to where she started, much less a way out.

She turned a corner, only to find the mark she had made and passed for the fourth time. Sighing in frustration, she flopped to the ground, resting her back against the wall. She let out another sigh, this one from exhaustion as she pondered over her situation. She was tired, alone, and lost. Meanwhile, the White Fang (if they were even down here) knew this place and outnumbered her by the hundreds.

She turned to get up, only for her hand to go straight through the wall. Taken off balance, she fell into the wall, hitting her head against the ground as it buckled against her momentum. She stood up, rubbing her head and looking around in the dimly lit room she found herself in. There wasn't much, only a destroyed table and a set of stairs. The stairs led up towards the rest of the house, but there was another set leading down into a dark room, one that she assumed led to a basement.

Ruby was about to crawl back through the hole she had made, but a couple Beowolf snarls from outside made her rethink her decision. She couldn't take on Beowolves in a place as small as this. She didn't think many rooms in the house would be wide enough to allow a fight without the Grimm being right on top of her, so that left her with two options: Stay in here and fight up close or head for the basement and attempt to fight them there.

As a Beowolf crashed through the wall she had fallen through, she sprinted down the stairs, drawing Crescent Rose and firing blindly behind her. An animal-like whimper signaled that her shot had hit, and she sprinted across the basement and knelt, raising the scope of Crescent Rose to her eye.

The basement was large, and the walls were mostly wooden. Many partial walls were emerging from the walls, and three orange lockers sat against three of the walls. A wooden crate was tucked into one corner, presumably holding food or supplies. The main attraction of the room, though, was the large wooden post in the center of the room. Four meat hooks large enough to hold a person on were fixed to it via ceiling posts, and a strange, orange substance seemed to be growing on the entire thing, pulsating and shifting occasionally.

Ruby snapped off a shot, hitting a Beowolf that had just descended the stairs in the side. It yelped, falling to the ground as Ruby loaded another round. She fired again, and it went limp as the bullet pierced its eye. A second Beowolf turned the corner as she reloaded, and she just barely interrupted its charge by shooting it in the leg. It fell on its face, rolling until it hit the wall. Ruby hit the secondary trigger on the rifle, and the mechanized systems inside quickly began to work, changing the rifle into a large scythe. She stabbed the butt-end of the scythe into the Beowulf's neck, causing it to become stunned. She leapt forward, swinging the blade of her scythe and slicing a Beowolf down the middle. Another leapt at her, but she ducked under the claws and swung the non-bladed edge into it, sending it onto one of the meat hooks in the middle of the room.

She planted the blade into the ground, firing three shots at an incoming Beowolf and killing it. She spun quickly, impaling a Beowolf and launching it at its friend. The two creatures toppled over, rolling a little ways away as the red-cloaked girl began to cut through other Grimm like butter. She twisted, spun her scythe, twirled, and launched herself across the room.

As she blew the head off of a Beowolf, a yelp and a spray of black blood suddenly erupted from the Beowolf on the meat hook as multiple claw-like tendrils pierced its stomach from all sides. It fell limp as all but one of the appendages pulled from its body, the last limb raising the Grimm into the air. Ruby watched in terror as the ceiling was pulled away, and many more claws shot down, impaling or mutilating the Beowolves surrounding her. The Grimm began to disintegrate, the black smoke they normally turned into swirling and being absorbed by the dark void beyond the ceiling. Ruby dropped Crescent Rose as the claw-like tendrils latched onto the ceiling and held the void open.

An orange, fiery light, almost like the pupil of an eye, appeared in the center of the void. Ruby fell to the ground, crawling away from the strange eye as it stared at her. Out of the dark void came many voices, all speaking at once. " _ **Welcome, Ruby Rose. I have been waiting for a long time to meet you."**_ it "said", sending chills down the young girl's spine.

"H-how d-d-do you know-w my n-nam-me?" she stammered out, back pressed against the basement wall as she shivered in fear. The being "laughed", and the resulting cacophony of noise forced Ruby to cover her ears. She shivered as the amalgamation of voices laughed and squealed in delight, and as they faded away, she closed her eyes and forced herself to look away from the horror in the void.

" _ **Oh, Ruby, I know everyone's name. I know so much about you. Your hopes, dreams, regrets, fears, all of it. You've been in my interest for the longest time."**_ it spoke, noticing her fear and terror at its presence. " _ **Oh, do I scare you, little girl? Am I too terrifying for you to hear and see me? Well, I can offer you so many things- if, you are willing to listen."**_

Ruby listened, terrified. On one hand, she was ready to just deny whatever it was offering, but she wasn't sure if it would let her go. On the other hand, she was interested in what it had to say, but she wasn't sure if it's motives were going to benefit her in any way. Eventually, she uncovered her eyes, looking towards the eye with a fearful yet curious expression.

The being chuckled, and if it had a face, it would be smiling. " _ **I knew you'd warm up to the idea eventually. I'd like to play a game with you. You like games, don't you?"**_ it asked. Ruby's eyes widened, and she smiled a little, nodding. " _ **I thought so. As I said, I'd like to play a game. Think of it like… One of the players chases the others, and the other four have to escape before the one catches them. We will play in your dreams every night for one month. If you escape, you get one point. If you don't, I get one point. Whichever of us gets the most 'points' at the end wins."**_

"Um, I d-don't mean to interrupt, b-but what happens i-if I lose? What then?" Ruby asked, not really thinking straight. The entity laughed softly, saying simply, " _ **Well, we'll have to see if it happens first."**_

The eye shifted, looking towards the meat hooks. Ruby let out a silent sigh, letting her limbs relax. " _ **If you win, I can grant you anything you desire. Power, fame, fortune, anything you wish. But, you have to play the whole game in order to win."**_ The eye shifted back towards her, looking a little curious. " _ **So, what will it be?"**_

* * *

Team RWBY sat in the passenger section of the Bullhead. The "Breach" (as people had been calling it) had just happened, but almost immediately after the Atlesian military showed up, they had been escorted away from the scene and told- no, ordered- to keep their mouths shut about what had happened until it had been sorted out.

Ruby sat next to Blake, who was getting some well-deserved rest. Ruby had tried to follow suit, but the events of the day kept replaying in her mind. Now matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the spider-clawed thing she'd encountered out of her head, and even remembering it terrified her.

She looked up as the Bullhead came to a stop, noticing the Atlesian Knights, as well as two soldiers, walking towards the unloading ramp. As they opened it, she could hear people talking loudly with one another and screaming. Immediately, sweat began to coat Ruby's forehead. She hated going into huge crowds, but it looked like she had no other choice.

The four members of Team RWBY, accompanied by Atlesian soldiers on all sides, stepped out of the Bullhead and were immediately swarmed by reporters and students alike. Ruby looked at the ground, moving as fast as she could through the crowd and towards the doors of Beacon Academy. She tapped into a little of her already strained Aura, causing her Semblance to activate and for her to race forward, towards the safety of the indoors and of her room.

Ruby slammed through the doors, beating the rest of her team there by about a minute. She did not stop to wait for them, instead bolting for the stairs. She wanted to get to the safety of her team's room so she could put her worries at ease and relax. She shoved past people, slammed through doors, flew down stairs, and sprinted around corners until she was there. Hastily, she waved her Scroll in front of the sensor lock, slightly angry that her shaky hands took three tries for the sensor to approve it.

She slammed the door behind her and let out a large sigh as the stress and panic faded away. She let her shoulders sag as the strain that her Aura and muscles were under overcame the adrenaline that had flowed through her for a long while. Right now, she just wanted to get in bed, pull the sheets and blankets over her, and sleep for a week.

This notion was interrupted by something clicking under Ruby's left foot as she moved for her bed.

Ruby noticed it too late, and was about to turn and see what it was when metal jaws snapped closed through the carpet, tearing straight through the red material and sinking it's teeth into her leg. She screamed, collapsing forward as the sharpened teeth went straight through her already thin Aura.

She tried to push herself up using her hands, but she couldn't move very far before the teeth would begin to tear into her skin and muscle. Nevertheless, she managed to force herself up onto her hands and one knee, scooting as close as she could to her trapped leg. She gripped the jaws with her fingers and attempted to pull them apart, but they wouldn't budge.

Suddenly, the door opened violently, smashing into the light switch and causing the overhead lights to flicker rapidly for a moment. The lights cut out, and Ruby looked back to see a tall figure standing in the hall behind her. She yelped as he stepped into the room, his long, even strides covering the distance between the two in less than five seconds. Ruby recoiled as much as she could, trying to pull away from the mountain of a man walking- walking as fast as a normal person ran, at that- in her direction.

Her efforts proved futile as the man grabbed her by the cape, pulling her towards him. She was pulled from the bear trap, the man sparing her the pain of it by opening it with his foot, and the man raised her until her face was just below his eye level. Ruby whimpered, terrified of what he would do, but he just held her by the cape, her feet hanging a good two feet off the ground.

As she opened a single eye to look at the man, wondering why she wasn't getting beaten or killed, she got an idea of what he looked like, using the light from the hall. He was tall, taller than she was by far, and he was probably three times as strong as she was. She couldn't make out his face, but she could tell he was wearing a mask because his breaths seemed to be forced out of the 'mouth' of it, giving his breathing a sort of growl-like sound to it. She noticed the glint of rusted metal coming from multiple sharp points emerging from his shoulder, and could practically taste the unwashed, bloody stench of his overalls.

Suddenly, the man cracked his neck, startling Ruby with the volume of the popping bones. He raised his other hand, in which was clutched a crude machete with a rusted edge. She screamed as the blade rushed for her, expecting for a slash to the shoulder or immediate decapitation…

Only, that never came.

Instead, Ruby felt a much smaller hand leave the familiar sting of a slap across her face. She blinked, noticing that Yang was kneeling in front of her with a worried expression on her face and that the lights were no longer off. Ruby looked around, searching for the masked man, but he was nowhere.

"Ruby!" Yang shouted at her, bringing her back to focus. "What the hell was that?!" Ruby apparently didn't understand what Yang was asking, so Yang continued. "First, you sprint off, not telling us where you're going. Then, when I find you, you're passed out on the ground, and when I try to wake you up, you start screaming!"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Ruby interrupted, waving her hands in an attempt to get Yang to back off. "I just got nervous, and with everything that's been going on today, it just snowballed from there, I guess."

Yang gave her a bit of a skeptical look, but seemed to buy it. "Yeah, I guess I understand that. Just…" she trailed off, then continued, "Get a little rest, alright? We've all earned it."

"Yeah…" Ruby said, climbing up the insanely suspended bunk bed to get to her bunk. Yang walked back towards the door, then seemed to remember something.

"Oh yeah, forgot to mention that the stuff you brought is coming back here soon. The guy who dropped us off had to return it, but he didn't know where to." she said, before switching off the light and closing the door.

* * *

Ruby sat on her bed, staring at the bracelet the eye-thing with the claws had given her. _**Put it on before you sleep, and take it off once you wake up. Don't leave it on for too long while you're awake,**_ she recited the words it had said to her in her head. She sighed, flopping back onto her bed, thinking about the day she'd had. The battle on the streets of Mountain Glenn, wandering the inside of Mountain Glenn, meeting the weird eye thing, fighting with the White Fang and Roman Torchwick on the train, the Breach (as people had been calling it) and fighting alongside her team, and Roman Torchwick having been caught fleeing the scene.

She looked at the bracelet again. It was simple, just three bands of whitish-silver metal, two connecting at the palm side of her wrist and the third coming between the two and connecting where the other two were the thickest. It was pointed at the parts where it connected, and it was always slightly warm to the touch. A small, triangular red gemstone sat where the band in the middle connected, and looking into it made Ruby feel a little uncomfortable.

She slowly slid the bracelet on, and it fit easily around her wrist. She looked at it again, looked at her other sleeping teammates, then climbed into bed. Soon enough, she was embraced in the comforting arms of sleep.

After a few minutes, the red gemstone on the bracelet began to glow, though no one saw it. The light was dim, but it was visible. The gemstone split into three parts, and a claw-like tendril stretched out of it. It snaked up Ruby's arm, rearing up like a scorpion's tail before it sunk its tip into the base of Ruby's skull. Instantly, Ruby began to flinch, eyes closed tight and teeth pulled back into a pained grimace. It relaxed, and Ruby's aura was slowly depleted as it turned the spot around where it stabbed a dead grey.

 _ **Inside Ruby's dream…**_

 _Ruby woke, lying against the blackened remains of a wall. She sat up, looking around at the shriveled grass and dying plants around her. 'Where… am I?' She thought, slowly standing and looking for someone. She didn't see anyone, so she began to move, keeping quiet just in case she found someone who wasn't friendly with her being here._

 _She walked for a while, searching her pockets as she didn't see anyone in the area. She didn't find much, just an old, rechargeable flashlight and a few pins and clips. She looked up, and was surprised to find an old generator sitting in the middle of the field, surrounded by a few large rocks and logs. She knelt down beside it, looking at the jammed gears and tangled wires._

' _What?... Why is this here?' Ruby thought, leaning down and tapping at it a little. She looked at it for a moment, and then began to twist some wires together. She worked for a while, and as she worked, the pistons atop the generator began to move. She was about halfway finished (two pistons were moving, so that's what she based it on) before she heard- no, felt- a heartbeat coming closer. She almost ignored it for a while, but as it got louder and more frequent, she stopped her work and hid behind the rocks nearby._

 _As she listened, footsteps began to accompany the heartbeat. She looked up, before ducking back around as she noticed a figure approaching. She held her breath as she heard the figure slamming the generator a few times before fiddling with something. She peeked up, and had to cover her mouth as she stared upon the figure._

 _He was taller than she was by at least a foot and a half, and it didn't seem human at all. He was wearing a mask that resembled a human face with no eyes, bleached white skin, and a smiling, sharp toothed mouth. He wasn't wearing a shirt, just a pair of brown, blood-soaked pants and an apron made out of a leather-looking material. Cuts covered his body, and in various places, hooks and metal spikes were stabbed into his skin. He had a small bag on his belt pouch, and in his right hand, he held something that looked like the child of a cleaver knife and a machete. He appeared to be fiddling with something on the ground._

 _Abruptly, he looked up, eyes going towards the generator. She gasped, ducking down behind the rocks as she heard him stand up. His feet thudded against the ground slowly as he walked over, searching the area around the generator. She froze, noticing that a red, fiery glow seemed to coat the area of the ground in front of him as he looked around. She heard his heartbeat come closer multiple times, but each time, it lessened as he walked to another area nearby. Finally, he walked away, and she let out the breath she'd forgot she'd been holding._

 _She stood, walking over to look at the thing he'd been putting down. She looked at the ground, but it seemed as though he'd either covered it with grass and leaves or picked it back up and walked off with it. Seemingly satisfied, she walked over to the generator-_

 _Only for a snap to sound, and the jaws of a Bear Trap to close around her leg._

* * *

 **Hello! Welcome to the first official chapter of This Place of Wrath and Tears.**

 **I don't know if anyone will like it, but I am too invested in this to stop now. I've planned out the first three killer's rounds, but I'm happy to accept criticism and/or suggestions. I love Dead By Daylight and RWBY, and I hope I do them both justice with this story!**

 **Reviews (Wow, one already? Didn't expect that.):**

 **Herpaderp1028: Thank you for the kind words! And don't worry, I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.**

 **Remember to Read, Review, Favorite, and Follow!  
That Random Demon, Signing off!**


	3. Chapter 2: An Unnerving Presence

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

 **Note: If Bill sounds a little OOC, please forgive me. I haven't played Left for Dead, so I'm going off of the in-game description of him and his perks.**

* * *

 _Ruby screamed, clutching onto her leg as the metal teeth of the bear trap sunk into her flesh. She groaned and cried in pain, attempting to pull the jaws of the trap apart. She distantly heard the heartbeat of the killer, and she silently prayed that she would make it out of this. She struggled and writhed as she tried to pull her leg out, but it wasn't coming loose._

 _Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard someone running towards her. She jumped as another person, a somewhat scrawny male wearing glasses, came up to her and helped her out of the trap. She stood, thanking him quietly as they sprinted off. The loud thumping of a heartbeat alerted them to the killer's presence as they ran. Ruby was limping, the wounds in her leg slowing her down._

" _Come on!" the scrawny man yelled, vaulting through a long-broken window and continuing to run. Ruby tried to run faster, but pain shot through her leg, causing her to stumble. With a burst of effort and speed, she leaped forward, going through the window and landing at the other man's feet. He helped her up, and they took off, the killer hot on their tail. They weaved through ruins, rocks, and trees, before they came to a long corridor with a wooden barricade leaning against the wall at the end. The two of them sprinted towards it, their hunter gaining on them. Ruby made it through first, and the scrawny man threw the barricade down just as the killer caught up. The two split up as the killer smashed through the barricade, chasing after Dwight as Ruby stepped into one of the red lockers she had found around the area they were locked in._

 _She gritted her teeth as she closed the door. Looking down, she inspected the wound in her leg in the dim light. She gritted her teeth as she pulled the cloth and fabric that had been separated from her leggings, ripping it apart as she made a makeshift bandage out of the bloody clothing. She heard footsteps approaching, and she held her breath as the footsteps approached the locker._

 _The locker was wrenched open, and Ruby screamed in surprise. The man on the other side was a bit frantic, his white hair and beard unclean and tangled. He was wearing a military uniform, but carried no weapon, instead gripping a med kit in his left hand. A cigarette was gripped tightly in his mouth, and he looked like he'd lived his life for this._

 _He looked down at Ruby, his face softening slightly. He stepped back, gesturing for her to come out. She limped out, leaning against the wall nearby as the man opened the med kit and began to work on patching up her wound. The two sat in silence as he worked, tearing gauze and using various liquids to stop the bleeding. Once he was finished, he stood offering his hand. "Bill." he said. "Bill Overbeck."_

 _Ruby took a moment to react, grabbing his hand and letting him help her up. "Ruby Rose." she said, and they shook hands before turning the corner and starting to work on another generator. Ruby noticed that two bright lights were shining visibly nearby, one from where she came from and one in a house nearby. She began to walk towards the one in the house, but Bill grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. "Don't. We don't know where the killer is, and it makes it easier for 'em to get you like that." Ruby slowly nodded, going back to twisting the wires and trying to get the gears to move._

 _They worked in silence for a while, before Ruby spoke up. "Where are we?" She asked, looking up at Bill for a moment. The old man sighed in response, not taking his eyes off of the wires he was twisting together. Ruby frowned, going back to the gears she was trying to keep from rotating too fast._

" _I'm guessing you came here randomly too. Like most of the people here." Bill spoke, surprising Ruby a little. "Just doing something you normally do, going somewhere you normally go. Then you woke up here. It's how most get here."_

 _He closed the side panel to his side of the generator as the light on the post behind it lit up, indicating that it was fully operational. Ruby did the same as Bill stood up. "I'm not sure where this is, but it's definitely not where you or I come from." He said, turning to Ruby. "There's a thing that keeps us here, keeps us doing this. The generators allow us to escape this slaughter, but we always come back. Not to the same place, not with the same people, not the same killers after us. But it's the same. We don't get much in the way of miracles around here, but once in a while, we get something. Whether some tools to help us escape, a glimpse of the future or our homes, or someone new to help us escape."_

 _Ruby couldn't help but feel sorry for Bill. She knew what it was like to fight against something that you don't understand, and she knew he'd been through a lot. She knew the look in his eyes as he stared at her. It was the same look that her Uncle Qrow gave her when she asked about his missions, the look her dad gave her when she asked about her mother, the look Yang gave her when she got worried. It was a look of remembering things, of bad things the person had wished they'd forgotten, things they don't want to talk about._

 _Ruby slowly walked forward, wrapping her arms around the older man. He looked a little shocked, but hesitantly returned the hug, letting his arms loosely wrap around her. They stood still for a minute, then they separated. The two smiled at each other, before Ruby noticed something behind Bill._

 _Ruby didn't have much time, so she shoved Bill in the side. He stumbled backwards, just out of the way of the Trapper's blade as it cut through the air. Ruby was cut in the shoulder, the rusted and jagged metal cutting deep into her skin and drawing blood. She screamed in pain, clutching her shoulder and running off with Bill._

 _Once again, a chase ensued, Ruby and Bill running past ruins, generators, and meat hooks with the Trapper hot on their tail. Ruby was bleeding profusely, but she ignored the pain as she vaulted windows and ran around corners. Bill was running much faster, but he was still trying to keep pace with her as the killer pursued them._

 _Just as Ruby leapt through another window, a metallic click sounded right underneath her foot. She wasn't fast enough to react as the trap closed around her left leg, causing her to fall to the ground. Bill stopped in his tracks as he heard her fall, turning to help, but the Trapper stepped over her and stared at Bill. Bill looked between her and the Trapper multiple times, before staring at her in silent apology and taking off. The bone-masked killer didn't seem to care, for as soon as Bill ran off, he grabbed Ruby by the hood of her cloak and hoisted her up onto his shoulder._

 _Ruby wiggled and beat on his back, trying to free herself or at least loosen his grip. She wriggled and writhed, kicking and flailing as her carrier held onto her. She thought she was getting somewhere, as she felt his grip loosen and shift her forwards. She began to struggle harder, only to go completely limp as her injured shoulder was pierced by a large hook. She screamed, wriggling as the killer let go and left._

 _She grabbed and struggled against the hook, but it only made the pain and bleeding worse as she struggled. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that the same tendrils that had pierced the Beowolf were forming around her. She struggled and writhed, but before she could do anymore damage to herself, she felt a pair of hands grab her sides. She let out a yelp and looked down as Dwight pulled her off the hook._

 _She put a hand on his shoulder, thanking him before they ran off. Distantly, she swore she heard a woman scream, but she wasn't sure. Eventually, the two stopped to catch their breath, making sure there was no one else nearby before patching each other up with what they had (which wasn't much)._

" _So, what can you do? What do you have with you?" Dwight asked, adjusting his glasses as they walked. Ruby gripped her injured shoulder, sighing as she pulled the flashlight out of her pocket._

" _It isn't much, but I woke up with it." She said. He took the flashlight from her, looking at it as she continued. "I'm proficient with weapons, but I don't think you have any here. I'm really accurate, pretty fast, and I'm as good at working with a team as I am by myself."_

 _Dwight seemed to ponder this for a moment, then handed the flashlight back to her. "Alright. Uh, guess it's lucky you have this. The killers are blinded by bright light, so aim for the eyes. And don't trust the battery life on these things. They wear out fast here, for whatever reason."_

 _Ruby nodded, hearing the croaking of an unfinished generator in the distance. The two turned the corner, spying a generator that was mostly finished, but sparking from damage to it. A little ways away, a chest set against some ruined brick walls. Ruby went for the generator as Dwight ran for the chest. She got to work almost instantly, hammering out the external damage with a stone she found nearby and handling the wires with caution. Dwight returned with a toolbox a moment later, kneeling and fixing some gears with the tools within. After about a minute of work, the light above the generator turned on and a loud siren sounded._

 _As they stood, a woman screamed, this time much closer. The two turned to see the Trapper lifting up a dark-skinned woman in a red jacket and brown pants. Dwight screamed, taking off as the killer approached, and with a swing she just barely dodged, Ruby ran after him. The killer left their view quickly, and they made it about halfway to the illuminated exit gate before a loud boom and a red-orange wave of light swept across them, causing them to turn and look as the girl's body was grabbed by claw like tendrils that Ruby recognized. She and Dwight stared as the tendrils pulled her into the sky, but the heartbeat of the killer motivated them to start moving again._

 _As they reached the gate, they found Bill there, holding the opening switch down as the gate began to grind open. Bill nodded towards them as they sprinted forward. Ruby turned, drawing the flashlight as the killer closed in on them. She heard a familiar clicking and a scream as Dwight's foot landed in a disguised bear trap. She flicked on the flashlight, aiming for the killer's eyes as she backpedaled away from him. The Trapper covered his eyes, blinded by the light- just as the battery died._

 _Ruby backed up, trying to free Dwight from the bear trap as the Trapper regained his vision. He was almost on top of them when Dwight was freed, and a swing of the huge blade he held made Ruby stagger from the blow she received. She grabbed Dwight, sprinting forward as she focused her Aura. A familiar numbness spread across her body (and Dwight's, though she didn't know that), and the world blurred around them._

 _The two became a blur of red, blue, and black as they shot forward, leaving flower petals in their wake. Dwight panicked, not used to moving at speeds like this and having no clue what was going on. Ruby didn't seem to care, her focus seemingly diverted towards focusing her Aura._

 _The two stopped once they caught up with Bill, reappearing in a large burst of flower petals and scaring the old veteran half to death. Dwight stood still, face frozen in disbelief as his mind tried to figure out what happened. Bill bent over, letting out a heavy breath and putting his hands on his knees. Ruby let go of Dwight, looking proud before she realized that she didn't know where she was._

" _What… wh-what the hell was that?!" Dwight asked breathlessly. Bill stood, looking at Ruby with an expression that was asking the same question. Ruby looked back at Dwight, raising her eyebrow and tilting her head._

" _That's my Semblance. You don't know what Semblances are?" She asked, confused. Bill shook his head, then looked into the fog behind them. Dwight shook his head as well, and was about to speak when Bill spoke up instead._

" _We can talk on the way to the campfire." Bill said, grabbing Dwight by the collar and Ruby by the hood of her cloak. They were about to protest, but Bill dragged them along as he ran. Ruby tried to unfasten her cloak, but a sharp pain erupted at the base of her skull, causing her to go limp. As her vision faded to black, she saw the fog and field around her change into a thick forest. She heard Dwight saying something, shouting, and someone shaking her, but she couldn't do anything as unconsciousness claimed her._

* * *

Ruby woke up to Yang shaking her, a worried expression on the blonde brawler's face. Ruby took a moment to actually register what was going on around her, blinking blearily as she looked around. When Ruby was fully awake, she turned to Yang and asked in a tired half-whisper, "What's going on?"

Yang breathed a sigh of relief as she heard her sister speak, loosening her grip and putting a hand to the silver-eyed girl's forehead. "Blake woke me up and told me you were sweating in your sleep. You were freezing, and you started talking to someone for a while. Are you alright?" she said, helping Ruby sit up.

Ruby rubbed her eyes, leaning against Yang and sighing. "I'm fine. I must've had a nightmare or something. You don't need to worry about me, Yang. I'm fine, I swear." She said, wrapping an arm loosely around her sister. She felt her sister sigh, and Yang patted Ruby's shoulder before wrapping her sister in a hug.

"Alright… but if something's up, you'll tell me, right?" Yang asked. Ruby nodded, sitting up and turning to her sister. The two smiled at one another, before Yang spoke again. "Good. Now, get some breakfast and get some rest. We've got most of the week off, so make the most of it." And with that, Yang stood up and left.

Ruby watched her leave, then looked to the bracelet on her wrist. She stared into the gemstone, before sliding off the bracelet and putting it in the nightstand beside her. She grabbed her journal, then looked at the bag Dr. Oobleck had dropped off. She opened it, looking through the cans of dog food and things she'd packed. She was sure everything she brought was in there, but- hold on, what was that at the bottom?

Ruby dug through the contents of the bag, reaching for a journal at the bottom. It was small, and most of the pages were ripped out, but it was interesting nonetheless. The cover was bound with leather, and the front of the book was stamped- or rather, branded- with five marks, one of which was cutting through the other four in a diagonal way. The four vertical marks were stamped with small, melting skulls, each of which were facing an opposite direction. Ruby looked at it, then stuck it with her journal, content to look at it at a later date.

As she left the room to go for breakfast, she could have sworn she heard a bell ringing behind her. She turned, finding nothing, then left at a much faster pace.

* * *

 **Hello, you beautiful sacks of bloodpoints- I mean people! I hope you're having a wonderful day today!**

 **Reviews (you guys sure know how to review right before I post this, huh?):**

 **Herpaderp1028: Thanks for the review! I really don't think I'm doing the best at portraying Ruby (mainly because I haven't watched Season 2 of RWBY in a while, so I'm used to the newer character) but I'm glad you think I'm doing well.**

 **Reiss82: Thank you for the kind words! I'm not sure this chapter is as great as the others, probably because I haven't played much Trapper, but I hope I did well this go around.**

 **Shaneman17: Ruby is pretty much royally screwed, yeah. Not only is she gonna have to deal with these "nightmares", but she's got a life to live and friends that care about her too. Besides, it's not just Freddy she has to worry about. You know what the Huntress did with little girls... Anyways, I have plans for later chapters, and I hope this will stay as entertaining as it started.**

 **HydraLightning: That is a very interesting idea, and I might take it into consideration for later chapters. For now, though, I have plans that I've been working out, so that'll have to wait.**

 **As I've said before, I am willing to take suggestions on things, so feel free to say which killers you'd like to see Ruby escape against (or die against, I don't judge). Also, If you see any errors in the writing, feel free to let me know!**

 **I'm going to finish this author's note with two questions: Do you want some killer side bits in this story (meaning during the in-between game chapters, I write a little thing from the killers 'campfire' or something), and which version of Freddy do you want to see portrayed within this story, the original Freddy or the remake version? I know that 2010 Freddy is the one actually in-game, but I'd like to hear all of your opinions first.**

 **That Random Demon, signing off!**


	4. Chapter 3: A Wailing Bell

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

 **Note: This chapter was written before I watched Devstream #78, so nothing from the upcoming Wraith Cube will be implemented here.**

* * *

Ruby's day wasn't going great. Her "nightmare" had taken it's toll on her, evidenced by the absentmindedness and aches that she suffered from. More than once, she'd run into someone or tripped over something just because she wasn't fully in the moment.

Currently, she was sitting in the lunch hall with her teammates, getting some lunch and writing in her journal. She had eaten a lot that day already, but she was starving after she woke up, so she thought there would be no harm in eating a little more. She gulped down another spoonful of the soup they were serving, writing down what she experienced in her dream.

She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Team JNPR had sat down with them. She looked up, waving and smiling a little as they sat down, then began to write again. She finished off her soup, getting up to put the bowl on the conveyor belt to the kitchen.

As she came back, she noticed that her teammates weren't as engaged in conversation as they normally were. Weiss was hunched over her scroll, avoiding eye contact with Ruby. Blake had a her face stuck in a book, but she seemed tense and less focused on reading than she seemed. Even Yang, the most outgoing and talkative person she knew, was silent, eating very quickly and throwing the occasional glance over at Ruby. SHe gave them an odd look, but sat down and opened her journal again.

She flipped back to the page she was writing on, but set her pen down when she noticed a sigil stamped onto the page. It was made up of three markings, one above the next: a dot, a wave-like line, and an inverted 'W'-like shape, all close together on the page. It seemed to be a silvery-grey color, but it was only visible from a few angles. Ruby looked at it closer, brushing the sigil with her finger to see if some residue would come off.

She suddenly felt an otherworldly chill ripple across her body as she pulled her hand away, followed by the sound of multiple voices sighing in a whisper. She looked around, shocked, before noticing that everyone in the cafeteria was outlined in a glowing colorful barrier. She tried to bump Yang on the shoulder, but she pulled back screaming as she saw her now-invisible arm. She fell backwards, the chair she was sitting on going with her and crashing to the ground.

Yang, Jaune, Blake, Pyrrha, and Nora looked over. Ruby sat up as they began to look around for her, backing away from the table. "Uh, guys? I'm right here-" she said, her words being cut short as silver-orange claw marks began to appear, going from her to the exit of the cafeteria. She stood, grabbing her journal and walking towards the doorway.

As she stepped out into the hall, she heard a ghostly whisper echo around her. Startled, she looked around, but only seeing the orange scratches leading her down the hall. She began to follow them again, but she kept throwing glances over her shoulder to make sure no one was following (though she wasn't sure why she was, considering that she was invisible). As she got further and further away from the cafeteria, she began to see the orange scratches more frequently and hear the ghostly whisper almost constantly. She began to run, trying to catch up with whatever was making the scratches, but the thing always seemed to be two steps ahead of her.

She burst outside, looking for whatever was making the scratches. She lost the scratches while wading through crowds of people, so she relied on the whisper to find her way. She twisted and whirled as she looked for- there! The scratches covered the doors to the library, almost obscuring any detail of the doors themselves. She ran for them as if they were going to disappear, slamming through the doors.

She looked up, looking around the room. She noticed that the scratches had continued for a ways, ending at one of the tables nearby. Her sudden entrance had shocked some people, but many were confused as they couldn't see who came in. Ruby stood, but she approached the end of the trail with caution, concerned about not seeing what caused the marks. She walked slowly, peering at the scattered pages with hesitation as she sat down.

They were yellowed, older than most of the books in this library. Some of them detailed sigils and what that meant, others detailed ways to access the "spirit world" through rituals or Aura. All of them were handwritten, with somewhat rushed and hard to read handwriting and not detailed sketches. Ruby looked them over, then stuck them in her bag and began to scan the rest of the library for anything suspicious.

Suddenly, Ruby heard the rattle of bone behind her as something collided with the back of her head. She was thrown forward from the blow, scattering everything on the table and smashing her head into the table in the process. She groaned as her vision became blurry, and she collapsed to the ground, slowly losing consciousness.

As her vision faded, she saw a pair of bandaged and bloody legs standing close by. She tried to turn her body towards them, but her eyes closed and her body went slack as she faded into unconsciousness.

* * *

Ruby woke to pain. She felt sore almost everywhere, and where she wasn't sore, a sharp, stabbing pain replaced it. The back of her head throbbed with pain as she opened her eyes to an intense bright light. She raised an arm to block her vision, blinking a few times to let her eyes adjust to the light. When she could see, she looked around, noticing that she was sitting in a recliner in the library. She shifted, rubbing the spot on the back of her head as she looked around.

She sat up, looking closer at her surroundings. She could guess she was on the second level of the library because of the chair she was in and the few people, but she didn't know in which section she was. She felt her journal and the leather-bound book resting in the chair beside her, but she didn't grab them just yet, instead lowering the footrest in the chair and slowly attempting to stand.

Her legs weren't stable, but she managed to stand fully while resting a hand on the armrest of the chair. She attempted to take a step forward, but her legs almost gave out underneath her, forcing her to rest most of her weight onto the desk beside her. She managed to stand again, grabbing the two books and pocketing them as she slowly made her way across the bookshelves. As she finally got to the end of the section, she had regained her balance and all of the pain she had been feeling had vanished (for the most part). She took a deep breath, smiling and turning the corner- only to plow straight into Blake, knocking them both over.

The books Blake was holding spilled across the two of them as they fell, landing with Blake on top of Ruby as the books fell onto them. Blake grunted in pain as a book smacked her in the back of the head, then glared down at the younger human underneath her. Ruby briefly had a mental image of the bone-masked man in her dream kneeling down in the same way Blake was, but she pushed it to the back of her mind for the moment as Blake stood and began to gather the novels that she had been carrying. Ruby scrambled to help, and the two sat in the silence of the library for a while afterwards.

"...Sorry about that." Ruby finally said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. Blake sighed, nodding after a moment. The Faunus girl lifted the books, setting the stack on a nearby table and turning to Ruby again.

"You should probably go tell your sister that you're alright. She's been worried about you since you pulled your little vanishing act." Blake said, looking at Ruby in a way that was impossible to decipher. Ruby frowned, confused for a moment, then her eyes widened as she remembered what had happened earlier that day.

"SorryBlakegottagoBYE!" the girl in red said rather quickly, disappearing in a red blur and a flash of rose petals. Blake stared after her for a moment, smirking slightly before picking up the stack of books and walking into the small yet relaxing space Ruby had just left.

Ruby sped past doors, up stairs, and around corners as she searched for her sister. Appearing visibly in a flash of rose petals, she looked around the hall she had landed in. She spied the number on one of the doors, nodded, and then disappeared in another burst of petals. She reappeared right in front of the door to her room, slamming it open and startling Weiss.

"Ruby! Don't do that!" the heiress screamed as she dropped the things she was holding. Ruby let out a squeak that kind of sounded like an apology as she stepped back, moving out of the way as Weiss walked out of the room. The silver-eyed girl walked back into the room, sitting down on her bed and pulling out the leather-bound book she had found. She stared at the cover of the book for a moment, then opened her drawer in the nightstand and tossed it in. She shut the drawer and fell backwards onto her bed, letting out a long sigh as her muscles relaxed and her mind began to wander. She relaxed, and as her mind drifted away, her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

* * *

Ruby woke slowly, stretching out her joints and limbs as she woke up. She felt well rested, but she didn't feel safe. Something felt… off, in a way that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

She sat up, looking around the room. She didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, other than the three new books on Blake's bed, but even then, she didn't feel at ease. She shrugged it off, blaming it on the weird dreams she'd been having.

Sliding down from her top bunk, she grabbed her Scroll from the windowsill and flipped it open. The time on her scroll read 6:05. 'Oh crap,' she thought, resting her face against her palms. She had slept for a while, even if she didn't feel like it at all. She made sure that her Scroll was charged, checked up on all of her classwork, and then left for the cafeteria, feeling more than a little thirsty as she recalled how much running around she'd been doing that day.

She arrived to the cafeteria, perking up almost instantly as she smelled a very familiar and delicious smell: chocolate chip cookies. She immediately forgot about all of her worries, dashing inside and grabbing as many as she could carry. She threw them all onto a large plate, grabbed a few other small dishes, and sat down at an empty table. She wasted no time digging into the large pile of cookies, and was about to shove one more into her already full mouth when it was plucked out of her hand by her sister.

"Come on, Ruby! Lay off on the sweets." Yang said, tossing the cookie into her mouth and sitting down before her sister could react. Ruby grumbled as her hair was ruffled, trying in vain to duck out from under the hand. Yang laughed, continuing to ruffle Ruby's hair for a few more seconds, before pulling her arm back and resting it on the table.

"Yang! You know I don't like that!" Ruby pouted, causing her sister to chuckle at her antics.

Yang sighed, locking Ruby's silver eyes with her lilac ones. "And you don't try hard to stop me when I do it." she retorted, causing Ruby to frown even more than she was. Ruby let out an irritated grumble, causing Yang to chuckle a little. "So," Yang continued after a moment, "how's my little sister doing?"

Ruby glared at Yang for a moment longer, then sighed, blinking a few times before regaining her normal smile. "I'm alright. Just been a little tired is all." she said, shoving a few cookies in her mouth after she finished speaking. Yang let out a "hmm," looking away from Ruby for a moment. The two sat in somewhat awkward silence for a moment, looking at anyone but each other.

Finally, Ruby spoke up. "So, about disappearing at lunch today-" she started, stopping as Yang gave her a sideways glance.

"What about it?" Yang asked, not catching Ruby's sudden hesitation as she added, "I totally get it. Yesterday was pretty stressful, and you needed a little time to collect your thoughts." Ruby was about to continue, but found herself nodding in agreement. "I was a little worried, but Blake told me where you went. You don't need to explain it to me." Yang continued.

Ruby relaxed, happy that Yang hadn't pressed her about it, but also a little confused as to why she was hesitant to tell Yang about what happened. She didn't really feel like speaking right then, so she rested her head on Yang's shoulder in a silent show of gratitude. Yang was slightly surprised at the gesture, but didn't oppose to it, and so they sat for a while.

Eventually, Ruby sat up, smiling at her older sister as she began to eat again. Yang smiled back, and the rest of their meal was eaten in silence.

* * *

Ruby laid on her bed as she listened to her teammates prepare for sleep around her. Weiss was already ready, having eaten her meal quickly and using the extra time to shower and prepare for bed. Blake had just gotten back from showering, quickly changing into her nightclothes as Yang left for the shower. Ruby was ready as well, though she wasn't prepared to sleep just yet, instead using the small window of time before Yang got back to look through the journal she had found.

She had learned a little from it, but most of it was confusing or made no sense to her. Most of the journal was full of ramblings about the 'nightmare', as the author called it, and most of it was things of his experiences. She'd stuck the pages she'd found with the other out-of-place pages, which detailed things from the setting of traps to which types of game could be snare by what to what needed to be used as lures to catch what. She couldn't make sense of any of it.

She gave up on trying to decipher the book, hopping down from her bed and stowing it with her other belongings. She grabbed the strange bracelet she was supposed to wear and climbed back up to her bunk as Yang came back, the blonde brawler's hair shimmering and flowing as she walked to her bunk.

"Everyone good?" Blake asked, setting her book down and moving to the lightswitch. Receiving three noises of affirmation in response, the Faunus girl flipped the switch, blanketing the room in total darkness save for the moonlight streaming through the curtains. Ruby slipped on the bracelet, throwing the covers over her in the process so no one could see.

* * *

 _Ruby woke to a campfire. She didn't recognize this place, but it seemed safer than what she woke up to last time she woke up in a dream. She was silently glad that she didn't wake up in the middle of nowhere with no one around this time-_

 _"Oi! Oi! She's waking up!" an accented voice called from some distance away. She didn't recognize the accent, but she didn't have time to think about where the voice was coming from as Dwight came into her vision, kneeling down beside her and looking at her through his glasses._

 _"Hey, hey. It's alright, we're safe." He said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder as she attempted to sit up. He briefly looked away from her, shouting to someone out of her sight. "Claudette! Come here and help me!"_

 _Soon, a young, dark-skinned woman wearing a fitted maroon shirt and a pair of jeans appeared in front of her. Ruby guessed that this was Claudette, but she didn't have time to ask as the woman began to peel bandages off of Ruby's shoulder. More people began to appear in her vision, either going to sit on the other side of the fire or passing Claudette and Dwight medical supplies._

 _Once Ruby was properly patched up, Dwight helped her get onto the stump she had been leaning against. She was given a brief introduction to everyone around the fire, some more openly than others. She mentally decided not to trust Ace, as he seemed a little less trustworthy than he looked._

 _"Alright. That should be everyone." Dwight said, looking around at the assembled group. Ruby nodded, hesitating after a moment when she realized that one person she knew was missing. Before she could voice her question, however, everyone felt a strong pull upwards as the smell of burning flesh sizzled through the air._

 _Meg, David, and Quentin all stood, walking towards the center of the small area and grabbing a few things, such as medkits and toolboxes on the way. As they reached the center, everyone else stepped out of the campfire's light. Ruby hastily stood and left the center as she noticed this, and just as she left, she began to hear a familiar heartbeat as thick, dark fog began to flow into the area around the campfire. One at a time, the three people were covered by the fog, disappearing from view within in a matter of seconds._

 _As the dark fog began to dissipate (the three people that were there distinctly absent), everyone walked back into the light, sitting down on the various logs and benches around the fire. Ruby hesitantly followed suit, glancing awkwardly at everyone else before letting her eyes settle on the fire. Many questions flowed through her mind, so many that she couldn't even put any of them into words. She simply sat still for a while, staring into the fire, until Nea spoke up._

 _"So, how much did Dwight 'n' Bill tell ya about this place?" the punk girl said, and Ruby took a moment to think about her response._

 _"Well… there's the generators, which we need to fix to get out. Then there's the hooks, which the murderer guy has to put you on when he catches you. Uuuh…" she trailed off, thinking harder as she tried to remember. "Flashlights blind the killer, look for traps, and listen for a heartbeat. Other than that, I'm not sure."_

 _Nea nodded slowly before speaking up. "Alright, you know the basics. Make sure you know these things, and we can point things out to you in the next trial. For now, let's-" she was cut off as the pull occured again, but this time, Ruby felt the pull much stronger._

 _She stood, joining Nea, Dwight, and Ace in the center. Ruby grabbed a flashlight, stowing it in her pocket as the fog began to surround them. Dwight vanished first, looking much less prepared than Ruby would have expected. Nea vanished next, tossing a somewhat tarnished coin into the fire before she disappeared. Ruby had only seconds to wonder how it would feel before she was smothered by the dark fog._

 _It was cold, so cold that Ruby began to shiver and shake as she felt the ground disappear from under her. She wrapped her red cloak, which was far shorter and a few shades darker than she remembered it, around herself as darkness encased her, carrying her to the fresh hell that awaited._

* * *

 _Ruby woke up on the ground nearby a hook. She decided to steer clear of it, putting as much distance between it and her as she could before hiding again. She noticed a distinct difference in this place from the last trial she went through, because this place had more visible light, the sky resembling early twilight rather than midnight forest. She briefly noted that they were in a junkyard with lots of crushed cars and cold metal._

 _She found a generator, immediately setting to work on it as she scanned the area for her friends (and the killer, while she was at it). She didn't hear the heartbeat, but she did hear furious growling at one point, causing her to break off of the generator and hide behind a stack of crushed cars and jagged metal. She didn't see anything as she heard it slowly go away, so she headed back for the generator at a crouch, careful not to make much sound._

 _As she worked, she began to hear a bell ring. Distantly at first and for only four chimes, she began to hear it more frequently and far closer. Eventually, she felt a slight tug at her attention as she had the generator almost complete. Turning away for a second, she noticed that someone- Dwight- had been hung on a hook on a nearby hill, his screaming only interrupted by the bell again. She left the generator for just a moment, but she had left two wires incorrectly crossed over some of the more delicate parts of the machine._

 _She yelped, leaping back and covering her face as sparks and various parts exploded from the generator. She quickly worked to undo the damage, seeing distantly that one other generator had already been powered. As she worked, she knew that that explosion was loud enough to be heard from where Dwight was hanging._

 _She bolted from the generator as she heard the growling again, this time coming straight for her. She ducked back behind the wall of old metal, listening as she heard the bell ring once again. This time, she heard the heartbeat of the killer thunder into existence from really close by. She risked a peek over the remains of a red car as she heard the killer approach._

 _The Trapper, as Dwight called him, was, in every sense of the word, a brute. This… thing in front of her looked more like a beast than a strong, powerful killer. It was tall and lanky, reminding Ruby of a tree, but it moved with a purpose. It had on a black cloak, but other than that, it appeared to be wearing only blood-soaked bandages. It carried a human skull and spine with a large blade emerging from the roof of the skull's mouth, which Ruby presumed to be it's weapon, but it also carried a heavy iron bell carved to look similar to a skull._

 _It moved fast, rushing towards the generator and driving it's foot into it, before searching around with it's glowing eyes. Ruby noticed as it searched that it appeared to have white face-paint marked onto its face, but she couldn't understand why. After a few seconds of searching, it struck the bell with its weapon, and it vanished into thin air, the heartbeat fading with it. Ruby waited until its footsteps faded, then darted back to the generator to continue her work._

 _'Aw crap,' She thought as she worked, throwing a glance over her shoulder every so often to make sure it wasn't coming back. 'Now I have to worry about invisible tree things?!' She started to work faster, wanting to be out of there as soon as possible. She heard another generator roar to life as she finished hers, and she let out a sigh of relief as she wiped the sweat from her face._

 _Now wasn't the time to celebrate, as she heard the bell ring once more, this time far closer than earlier. She sprinted off, running for another generator as the tree-looking hunter ran after her. She dove over a partial wall made out of scrap metal, ducking down as she heard a blade swing above her. She stumbled to her feet, making a hasty run for the building nearby as the killer chased after her. She leapt for the window, hoping to clear it before the killer reached her._

 _Unfortunately, her hope was in vain as the killer lunged forward, catching her leg in his left hand as she leaped forward. All of her forward momentum stopped, and she slammed into the windowsill hard before she was pulled back through and hoisted onto her pursuer's shoulder._

 _"No!" she cried as she began to struggle, but it was in vain as the apparition threw her onto a nearby hook. It gave her a long look, and, while almost impossible to read, she could see sadness in its eyes as it once again struck the iron bell and vanished into the fog._

* * *

 **Ruby's encounter with the Wraith has begun. Let's hope she can get out…**

 **Happy belated Turkey Day to all of you as well, since I couldn't post a chapter last week. Thank you for liking this as much as I do and sticking with me through all of this!**

 **Reviews:**

 **MiukiAkiyama: Thank you for the kind words!**

 **Commando60: Thank you for the encouragement! And don't worry, I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.**

 **HydraLightning: Thanks! I do plan on adding them in, and I'm currently rewatching some of their movies to get their portrayal in this as close as possible. I really look forward to adding in Michael and Freddy in (though I'm still not sure which Freddy yet, the poll is up though), but I have mixed feelings towards Leatherface.**

 **RandomName3064: Thanks! As far as I know, Salem controls the Grimm (or, at least, they obey her when she needs them to), but that doesn't mean that the Entity didn't have a part to play in their creation. As far as Salem's connection, both Salem and Ozpin are implied to be incredibly old (judging from the recent episodes, that is). And both of them would know of the Entity, even if they'd never met It before.**

 **Shaneman17: Who says something followed her? But to answer your question, it might work that way, it might not. It might be that they are attracted to the high amounts of negative emotion coming from the Entity, but they would certainly give It a wide area to work Its claws when it shows up. We'll just have to wait and see, won't we? But the heads will be rolling soon enough, don't you worry.**

 **Xstream-kun: Thank you! I do plan on introducing all of the killers in this (Ruby may not face all of them. If another killer drops while I'm writing the trials then I'm probably going to wait to introduce them), and hopefully all of the Survivors will get a little screen time too.**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: Yep, Philip Ojomo himself is up next, though if you've read this far, you've probably already noticed.**

 **Anyways, I've officially maxed out the character limit for my grammar/spell check software on this chapter, so I apologize if it's less grammatically correct or doesn't flow as well as other chapters. Also I can't write accents to save my life, so I'm sorry if I offended any of you readers by butchering your accent.**

 **Once again, I am completely open to suggestions as to things I can change, lineups for each match (who goes in with Ruby, basically), and which killers Ruby should fail to get away from. I love listening to my fans, and I'd love to hear your feedback!**

 **Having said this, I'd like to leave you with a question that you can answer, and it's one I'd really like answers for: Do you guys think I'm not writing enough in my chapters and/or rushing through a lot of the stuff you guys want to see? I've reread this multiple times, and each time I keep thinking that there isn't enough in here or that I'm rushing through a lot of stuff, and I'd like another opinion (or several) on this topic.**

 **That Random Demon, signing off!**


	5. Chapter 4: Predator of Undeath

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

 **Note: This chapter was written before the Wraith Cube had been finalized, so nothing from that will be making it in here.**

* * *

 _Ruby hung from her hook, looking out for any of her fellow Survivors (that's what she had decided to call them, and it sounded right) but also for the ghostly ripple of the killer's invisible form (she'd nicknamed him 'Banshee', because of his appearance and how it sounded like a howl or exhale every time he vanished and reappeared). So far, every attempt to get her off by her fellow Survivors had been thwarted as the Banshee appeared and gave chase, though did not pursue for very long._

 _Currently, she was watching Nea and Dwight getting the run of their lives as the Banshee chased them. She noticed that he seemed to follow and find them even if he lost sight of them. Ruby pondered on this, coming to the conclusion that whatever was controlling this 'game' had allowed the Banshee the tracking powers of a beast of prey._

 _She heard footsteps slowly approaching her, but before she could protest, Ace had pulled her from the hook. He pulled her down, and as soon as she could stand, he motioned for her to get down. The two crouched as they heard the Banshee's heartbeat approached, and as it faded, Ace spoke._

" _Stay low. Get inside and hide. I'll cover you." he said, jerking his thumb towards the doorway nearby before taking off into a sprint in the other direction. Ruby was left there, but she wasted no time getting inside. She sat down, biting her lip as she worked through the pain of the hook wound._

 _The building was small and wooden, and it had clearly seen better days. The top floor had collapsed, leaving wood scattered on the dirt floor, but making an effective ramp to what was left of the top. On the small wooden platform that was the remains of the second story sat a wooden trunk, an open window nearby providing an easy escape. One side of the dirt floor had been turned into a tunnel, leading to a set of stairs that lead to a balcony on the outside of the building._

 _Ruby darted up the ramp, hauling open the chest and digging around in hopes of finding something to stop the bleeding. She dug around, through the empty toolboxes and broken flashlights, until her hand fell on the red cross of a first-aid kit. She pulled it out, breaking it open and hastily applying the bandages and disinfectant inside. She had basic training in first aid, as it was required for a huntress to learn, but beyond that, she had no idea what to do._

 _After the quick patch-up, she breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the blood stop flowing. She stood, taking the first-aid kit with her in case she needed it. She made a mental note to remember the generator here, in case she needed to fix it or if she need to hide somewhere for a while._

 _She didn't run, deciding to conserve her stamina for when she needed it. She moved quietly, sticking to the darker and more fog-filled areas of the scrapyard. She walked past cars covered in sheets, rusted metal piled into makeshift walls, and a large shack made out of corrugated iron and wood. She was about to leave the metal shack behind when she heard the slow, grinding clunk of a generator's pistons starting up. She snuck inside, slowly climbing through the window and spotting an injured Nea plugging away on a generator._

 _Ruby stood, alerting the other female that she was there by deliberately stepping on a stick. Nea spun, hands already gripping a flashlight and aiming it at the silver-eyed girl. As soon as she saw who it was, though, she lowered the light and beckoned Ruby over with a blood-splattered arm. Ruby broke open the first-aid kit once again, and the two sat in silence as bandages were applied to Nea's wounds._

" _Jesus, thanks. Thought I was the last one left. You vanished, Dwight's been caught, and who the hell knows where Ace is." Nea said, turning back to the generator. Ruby joined her, and the two began to fix the generator with renewed vigor._

 _After a little while of silence, Ruby looked over to Nea, tilting her head to the side. "So… there's still things about this place I don't know. Didn't you say you were gonna explain some of them?"_

 _Nea blinked a few times, then seemed to register what she was saying. "Yeah… 'M not the best at explaining this. You'd have a better understanding if you asked Dwight or Bill, but here goes." Nea took a breath, then dove right into the explanations._

 _And so they talked. Ruby learned about the connection between the generators and the gates, about what was referred to as 'The Hatch', the reasons for the killers and sacrifices. In return, Ruby began to explain the world of Remnant, the creatures of Grimm, and Aura and Semblance. By the time the generator was finished, the two were far more knowledgeable about the things they were speaking about, and they had more hope than when they started._

 _All of that hope vanished as a wave of orange energy and heat rippled across the landscape. The two turned, looking through the window as Dwight's body was pulled into the sky by the claws of the Entity. There were no tears shed, but both of them felt a small pang of guilt as they watched him die, even though they knew he wasn't really dead._

 _The chime of a heavy bell snapped them from their focus, the Wraith coming into view as it stopped. Nea sprinted out one of the doors while Ruby leapt through the window, ducking down and hiding as she heard Nea scream in pain. The heartbeat of the Wraith faded, and Ruby crept around to the doorway, peering into the building._

 _Once she was sure that it was empty, she crept back in, noticing a staircase built into the floor of the shack that she hadn't noticed before. Ruby looked around, making sure no one was following her, then descended into the basement. The fog became thicker as she went down, even though there weren't that many stairs and it had no place to come from. As she turned the corner, she instantly knew where she was._

 _It was the same basement she'd seen in Mountain Glenn, complete with the four hooks and three lockers. The noticeable differences were there, though. First, there were gallons worth of dried blood covering the floor, presumably from the people who had been slaughtered here. Second, bloody chains hung from the ceiling, and some of their shattered links littered the floor. Third, the stench of death was very present down here, and, even though it was seemingly collecting the cold fog, it was incredibly warm down there. As she took all of this in, she heard an otherworldly croaking and grinding noise echoing throughout the basement._

 _Ruby looked around, her steps slow and reluctant as she descended onto the stone floor. She spotted a chest nearby, and she took her time getting to it, wanting to spend as little time as possible in here but also not wanting to disturb anything in here. She struggled to open the chest slowly, rummaging through the junk at the bottom of the wooden container and tossing aside anything she couldn't use. She managed to scavenge together enough scraps and tools to fill up a small toolbox, though she had to abandon some heavier tools so she could carry it._

 _She distantly began to hear the heartbeat pulsing in her ears, groaning as she realized how much noise she had been making. She darted past the hooks, sliding into one of the red closets behind a partial wall at the other end of the basement. She held her breath, listening as the killer walked- yes, that was walking, not the normal power walk she'd seen him doing before- down the steps into the space with her, blocking her only way out of this place._

 _She heard him growl as he saw the chest she'd left open in her rush to hide. His light, yet agonizingly slow footsteps stalked across the floor, only interrupted by the sniffing and growling she had heard before. She winced as she heard the rusted hinges of an empty locker being forced open, a slam echoing as the doors were violently slung back into their place. The grinding of metal on metal echoed once again as the Wraith continued his hunt._

 _Ruby bit her lip hard as the Wraith's footsteps brought him into view, standing in the middle of the basement between her and the other locker. He stood, the skull, spine, and blade of his weapon showing Ruby a perfect example of what would happen to her if she was caught. He seemed to be weighing his options, either check one, the other, or to leave and hunt for others. Ruby silently prayed that he would leave, wishing him away with all the luck and willpower she had left._

 _Then, she saw the crow._

 _She had seen them before (even though she hadn't been here long), sitting on trees or the remnants of buildings in the Nightmare. They were shy, she had been told, never letting people (except for Jake Park, who she hadn't met yet) get close to them without flying off. Thus, Nea had said, they could be used to track if the killer or other survivors were nearby. This one, however, had taken an interest in the locker she was in, pecking at the small grate on the front and scratching at the top of the door. She was surprised that she hadn't seen it before now, but before she could do anything about it, she heard the Wraith walk over._

 _He seemed to be taking interest in the crow, gently taking it and pulling it from the locker. He turned to look at it for a moment, running a finger along its head and back a few times. It seemed to enjoy that, rubbing against his hand before it took off, flying out of the basement. The Wraith turned, and Ruby saw a small smile on his face as she looked at him. 'So they do feel emotion,' Ruby thought to herself._

 _The doors of the locker opening snapped her from her thoughts, and she screamed as she was trapped like an unwrapped chocolate in front of a child. She saw the enjoyment visibly drain from him, his shoulders and arms sagging and the happy expression he had been wearing replaced by a look of weary sadness. Ruby tried to run, but he was faster, grabbing her by the shoulders and throwing her over his shoulder. She wasn't there for long, as the Wraith slid her onto the hooks nearby._

 _She didn't have time to watch him leave, as spider-like claws formed around the top of the hook. The front-most one speared downward, and Ruby threw up her arms, catching it inches from spearing her in the chest. The claw-tendril-thing was rough and hard to grab, small barbs in random intervals scratching against Ruby's hands and the thing pulsing with strength as it pushed against Ruby's slowly waning strength. She saw others like it, scratching against her shoulders or curling towards the hook, but the one in front of her was the sharpest. She pushed and fought for time, and eventually (she had no idea if time even existed in this place, but it had been some time), she heard someone coming down the stairs of the Basement._

" _Hang on, Ruby! I've got ya!" she heard Nea call as the girl ran towards her. Nea ducked through the waving claws and hooks, grabbing Ruby by the waist and attempting to pull her off. The claws pulled off of Ruby, swiping at Nea one by one in an attempt to keep their prey. Nea ducked and dodged, having to pull back to avoid getting an arm sliced off once, but she held on, and it hurt a lot to be jerked around like that. Nea lifted with all of her strength, but before Ruby could be saved, the iron bell rang once again, this time right behind Nea._

 _Even before he became fully visible, the Wraith grabbed Nea by the shirt and roughly threw her to the ground. It glared at Ruby for a moment, before grabbing Nea by the leg and dragging her towards another hook. She felt the hook she was on shake as Nea was thrown onto a hook beside her. The bell sounded again, and the Wraith was gone once more._

 _Ruby's lost focus gave the claws a chance to strike. The center three pulled back, spearing down at Ruby, and she wasn't fast enough to stop them this time. She felt them stab through her stomach, crying out in immense pain as they continued to push through her back. The other claws stabbed into Ruby one by one, eliciting a cry of pain for each one until her lungs were too full of blood to scream. Each one tore out of her painfully until only one lodged into her spine, and Ruby could feel blood splashing out of her mouth as it lifted her into the air._

 _The ceiling seemed to disintegrate above her, and more of the Entity's claws reached through the hole that was made. She was pulled off of the single claw that was suspending her, and the claws coming down slowly pulled her into the air. She felt all the pain and aching fade away as everything around her went dark. The last thing she heard before she faded into unconsciousness was in a familiar, sing-song voice:_

" _ **One for me, one for you."**_

* * *

Ruby woke up breathless, the copper taste of blood still fresh in her mouth. Everything hurt, and it felt like she was on fire just to breathe. She tried to cough and soldier through the pain, but it only worsened as she tried to grit her teeth. Her vision was unfocused, and she couldn't do much to clear it, lest the pain got worse.

Suddenly, the pain got worse as she felt her arms and legs begin to forcefully stretch and distort, going from a rosy pale color to a darker, greyish-brown color. She tried to scream, but her mouth was forced shut as her jaw became stiff and hard to move. Her body proportions changed, resembling a tall, thin man with chitinous, black spines growing out of his head. She- or rather, he- wore a dark cowl over his shoulders, fresh bandages being the only thing covering his legs.

As the transformation was completed, Ruby lost control of her previous body, and could only watch and trail behind the new figure stalking the halls of the school.

* * *

A loud bang echoed across the hall, waking the three remaining members of Team RWBY. Weiss rubbed the sleep from her eyes as Blake leapt off of her bed, shaking Yang a couple times to finally get the blonde brawler up. The blonde groaned, rolling over and rubbing her eyes as she sat up and looked around.

"What the hell's going on?" Yang half-grumbled, half-asked to the rest of her team. Weiss shrugged, standing up to shake Ruby awake. She patted against the blankets, trying to find the young girl's leg and nudge her awake. When she couldn't find it, the pale-skinned girl clambered up the unsteady supports to shove at the younger girl.

She almost lost her grip when she saw their leader's bed empty.

"Where is Ruby?!" Weiss screamed, turning back to her other two teammates. Yang immediately shot out of her bed, hoping for the best and fearing the worst as she began to look around. Blake seemed to perk up as well, a slightly worried look on her face as she looked for their leader as well. The three looked around, calling out quietly for Ruby, thinking she was hiding or underneath something.

Yang opened the closet door, the door to their bathroom, and finally the hall door to look for her sister. As she turned to close the hall door, a raspy whimper rattled out from down the hall, causing Yang to turn and look. Yang gasped as she saw Ruby down the hall, curled up and facing away from her sister.

"Ruby!" Yang called out, running down to her and holding the shivering girl in her arms. Weiss and Blake followed shortly after, and as they approached, they could see that Ruby was very awake and paper-white, looking as if she'd just seen a ghost. Her tank top was torn across the back and stomach, the legs of her pajama pants were tattered, and her hair was a mess, the normally black and red coloration having faded and thickened into a crusty black nest.

Yang picked Ruby up, softly attempting to comfort the whimpering mess that was her sister. "Ruby. Hey, hey, it's alright. You're safe." she whispered, carrying Ruby back to their room and laying her on the floor. As they entered, Zwei, the sibling's pet corgi, whimpered and ran under Blake's bed, provoking a couple odd looks in his direction. Ruby was laid down, and only in the glow of the overhead light could they see what had happened to Ruby.

Ruby's hands were scarred, covered in tiny cuts and scrapes all over her palms. The act of rubbing her arms had caused some blood to rub off on her arms, and some of it had spilled across her tank top as well. Faded white paint had been rubbed in three straight lines down her face, the meaning of this unknown to her three teammates. In her left hand, Ruby held a polished piece of bone, one end carved into a more block-like shape while the other was smooth and had a small hole drilled through the sides.

Weiss picked up the piece of bone, looking it over with a profound disgust, but also slight interest. "Ruby… where did you get this? Who cut up your hands?" she asked, dropping the bone (which she deduced to be from a human forearm) and turning to face the silver-eyed girl.

"W-wrai…t-th… R-rav...en-n… d-door…" Ruby's voice was a hoarse whisper, and even the words they could make out were stammered and only served to confuse the other members of her team even more. Seeing that they weren't getting it, Ruby lifted a weak and shaky arm and pointed to the door. Blake stood, crossing to it and throwing it open. After a quick look around, Blake's eyes landed on a peculiar sight hanging from Team JNPR's door across the hall.

It was a hand sized wreath, though Blake would hardly call it that. It was crafted from burned, black sticks and feathers from a black bird, attached like a bicycle wheel to the centerpiece, which was made from dark colored wood and nailed to the door with a large iron nail. Blake deduced that the noise made in the hall earlier most likely was this being driven into the wooden door. On the other side of the wreath was a leathery material that covered the backside of it. Blake pried off the nail, flipping over the wreath to read a message stamped in what she hoped was red ink on the leather:

 _The wailing bell chimes, Miss Nikos._

 _You can trust your eyes no longer._

 _How will your other senses carry the burden of sight?_

* * *

 **Well well well, looks like Ruby's lost her first game. The Entity doesn't treat losers nicely, it seems.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had some plans for it, but I realized last minute that they might be too extreme for being so early on in the story. Besides, Ruby gets sacrificed, so it's gruesome enough (I think).**

 **Reviews:**

 **HydraLightning: I do plan to incorporate this more in the coming chapters. Sorry this one's a little short and vague, I just had no time for anything last week and couldn't get this finished as fast as I'd have wished.**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: The dreaded cliffhanger has appeared! It might show up again in later chapters, but I'll try to keep them to a minimum.**

 **Shaneman17: Poor Ruby indeed. I assume you mean possessed, and yes! She will be getting possessed by the killers and start to act more like one down the line (I have some things planned for the second and third rounds against each killer), but you'll have to wait and see.**

 **RandomName3064: Thank you for your input! As my profile states, I'm not the best at writing, but I try to keep things paced out as much as I can. Thank you for your ideas as well!**

 **As of posting this chapter, I will have a poll up on my profile where you guys can vote on what Ruby's third unique perk will be! I'll be accepting all entries up until I either finish writing Freddy's chapter or until February, whichever comes first.**

 **As always, I'll be happy to accept your criticism/suggestions! Leave me a review with any spelling/grammar mistakes I missed, suggestions you have about future chapters, or questions you may have. I look forward to answering them all!**

 **Quick note: I will not be posting the next chapter of this story on the 29th, as I will be spending all of that week with family. I'm sorry to all of you who want the next chapter, but it's just a thing we do for New Years every year and I don't want to be the odd man out by not showing up. Expect the next chapter January 5th, as I will be back into the swing of things by then.**

 **That Random Demon, signing off!**


	6. Chapter 5: The Howling Saw

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

* * *

Ruby sat by her locker, trying to keep her mind off of what had happened last night. She was currently sharpening the blade of Crescent Rose by hand, the stone she was using scraping across the blade and creating a sound that was music to Ruby's ears. She loved taking care of her weapon, and it was one of the most common things she did to help mitigate the stress of school, social life, and the frequent encounters she's had with Roman Torchwick and the White Fang.

'Sharpened? Check. Double check the transformation mechanisms? Check.' Ruby ran through a list of things she needed to do in order to keep Crescent Rose in tip-top shape for when she needed it. She set down the sharpening stone as she confirmed that her weapon was in peak condition, taking a moment to admire her work. She smiled, and if someone were to look at her now, they would have no idea what she had been through for the past two days.

She clicked the secondary trigger, watching as the scythe compacted in on itself quickly, going from a six-foot tall scythe to a compact sniper rifle in a matter of seconds. She put her tools and weapon away quickly, closing the locker door with renewed energy and hope. She turned, her usual, ear-to-ear smile present on her face- and slammed straight into Coco Adel, the leader of team CVFY.

Ruby stumbled back, slamming into her equipment locker and falling over with it. Coco stumbled back from the younger girl's momentum, losing her grip on what she was holding and tripping over a bench behind her. The two girls groaned in pain, Coco sitting up and adjusting her sunglasses, while Ruby laid still for a few moments before shooting to her feet and trying to pick up the things Coco had dropped.

"OhmygoshI'msosorry!" Ruby rushed out an apology, picking up Coco's handbag (which was heavier than she'd expected, even though she knew what it could turn into) and dark brown beret, as well as a few other things before helping the brunette up. Coco took her hat and bag back immediately, sticking the hat back on her head and slinging the heavy handbag's strap around her neck.

"Hey, don't sweat it. We all bump into someone at some point in our lives." Coco said, then looked at the locker that Ruby had knocked over. "Want some help with that?" she added shortly after, knowing how heavy they could get. Ruby nodded, and, with a considerable amount of effort, the two girls heaved the locker upright again, Ruby wincing as she heard all of her tools and ammunition clattering around inside.

Coco and Ruby sat down on the bench the brunette had tripped over before, taking a moment to rest and catch their breath. "So… you're the leader of team RWBY, the ones who fought with the White Fang and helped defend the city during the Breach." Coco said. Ruby nodded a few times, then jumped as she felt a hand pat her on the back. "You did good, kid. Most people would lose hope after the Grimm started pouring out of the ground." Coco said, giving Ruby a small smile and patting her a few times on the back, before standing up and gesturing for the younger girl to follow.

"Wait, where are you going?" Ruby said, standing up and beginning to follow the fashionista out of the equipment rooms and through the training gym. Coco just gestured for her to hurry up, and although Ruby couldn't see it, she was sure the older girl was smiling.

"I need to drop something off in my room, then we're going out to lunch." Coco said once Ruby caught up. She took off her sunglasses, cleaning them off as the two walked and chatted. They talked about weapons (a topic that had both of them in a heated argument at one point), fashion (a topic that Coco seemed to understand far better than Ruby), and other people they knew. Ruby enjoyed the conversation, finding that she had a few things in common with her older classmate.

Eventually, they reached team CVFY's dorm. Coco stepped inside for a moment, setting some things down and grabbing something Ruby couldn't see. The younger girl waited outside, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes. 'Why would she take me out to lunch?' Ruby pondered while she waited. 'And why now, of all times? It's not like today's special or anything, so why today?'

Ruby's thought process was interrupted as a throaty gurgle of a breath caught her ear. She opened her eyes, looking around for the source and noticing a pair of uneven footsteps accompanying it from down the hall. She peered around the corner, leapt back with a startled shout as the figure the steps and gurgling belonged to staggered by her.

The figure was tall, maybe seven feet in height, and it walked with a stagger in its step. Ruby couldn't see it's face clearly, but she could make out blue-white eyes and a deformed smile before it passed her. It was wearing tattered old farm wear, with torn jeans, a faded white undershirt, and a red plaid collared shirt. None of it seemed to fit, and Ruby could see why as the person passed her. Its hunched back seemed swollen, almost deformed in some places, and one of its legs seemed to be deformed in the same way, giving it the uneven, staggering movement it had. On it's head was a rather nice, yet still old leather hat, which bounced and shifted with every other step of the lumbering… thing.

Ruby pressed herself against the wall, watching as the humanoid lumbered down the hall past her. She wondered how it hadn't seen her, but was very glad it didn't. Inwardly, she cursed herself for referring to the humanoid as 'it' and 'thing'. She watched as it turned right at the end of the hall, stumbling over it's own feet- and unknowingly knocking it's hat off it's head.

Any apprehension Ruby had about approaching it vanished as she rushed to pick the hat up. "Hey! Hey!" She called, looking away from him for a moment to pick up the hat. "Hey! You forgot your-" she stopped as she looked up, hat in hand, to find the figure gone. She looked around, but saw no possible way that the shambling figure could have vanished that fast. "What the…" she trailed off, then looked down at the hat in her hand.

She hadn't noticed it before, but the hat was less intact than it looked. Some places seemed to be shoddily sewn up, others were visible and seemed worn with age or use. A large scrap of paper fell out of the bottom as she looked it over, the paper crudely detailing how to tune a carburetor of some kind, hasty and illegible descriptions connecting to the drawing in the center. Ruby pocketed the paper, turning to see Coco stepping out of her room.

"Heard you shouting to someone. What happened?" Coco asked, leaning against the doorframe. The brunette listened as Ruby relayed what happened to her, nodding a few times before walking over. "Well," she said, "we'll just have to leave the hat here, in case Mister…" she gestured for the hat, giving it a once over before continuing. "In case Mister Thompson comes back for it."

Ruby nodded, giving the hat to Coco and letting her put it in her room. She was a little hesitant to follow when Coco came out, looking back one last time before the door closed. She didn't know why, but she had a sinking dread in the pit of her stomach that she couldn't quite shake. Regardless, she turned away, following Coco out to the airship bay.

* * *

The two girls stepped off the Bullhead, stumbling a few steps as they readjusted to standing on solid ground. Ruby looked up at the construction and repair happening around her, seeing it for the first time with her own eyes. She'd read the damage report a few times and watched the news, but this was the first time she'd been here since the Breach. It all felt so… surreal.

"Come on, this way." Coco said, nudging her from her thoughts. Ruby turned and followed, and the two walked in silence for a few minutes, observing the recovery the city was going through. The younger girl thought back to that day, wondering what she could have done differently that day. She began to replay the events of that day as they walked, remembering how it had gone down, how everything happened up until they had left.

Her eyes began to water as she remembered that basement battle that had changed her life so drastically. She wiped her eyes, sniffling a little as she remembered how terrified she had been in the face of that thing, that beast which had simultaneously coerced her to play Its twisted game and overridden her ability to think clearly in that moment. She hated it, and she wanted nothing to do with it anymore. She was about to launch into another train of thought when a very familiar, very terrifying sound caught her ear.

The distant sound of the killer's heartbeat.

Ruby's eyes snapped open wide, already beginning to scan the surrounding streets for the source. She could faintly hear Coco talking and could see a few people giving her odd looks, but that didn't matter to her right now. She scanned the colorful buildings, looking for odd coloration, strange clothes, a weapon, any signs of one of the killers being there, but she came up dry.

'I must be losing my mind,' Ruby thought to herself a little jokingly, turning back around and smiling to herself. She looked back up, a grin stretched across her face… only for it to be replaced by a look of pure horror as her face turned pale.

Standing up ahead, about 30 yards away, was the same person she'd seen earlier. Same boots, same shirt, same hunched back, he was the same man. He was standing taller now, what little hair he had obscuring some of his face as he stood under the shade of a storefront. She took a step back, and he took one forward to match her. As she did, she could see that he was armed, an old sledge hammer like the ones she'd seen in history textbooks gripped in his right hand. Milky blue orbs locked onto her silver ones, and she found herself rooted to the spot, paralyzed with fear.

"HEY! RUBY!" A shout from Coco beside her snapped her out of her paralysis. Her instincts kicked in, and she bolted for the nearest alley, hoping to lose him in the back roads of the city. She ran at full sprint, using her semblance to dodge past oncoming cars and other vehicles. She dared a quick glance back as she reached the other side of the street, and screamed as she saw him barreling towards her through the oncoming traffic. Cars swerved to avoid him, but he paid them no mind as he charged after her, beating the haft of the hammer against his palm as he ran.

Ruby darted into the alley in front of her as the person chasing her made it across the street. At the first corner, she took a hard left, then a right, then a left before ducking down behind a dumpster. She heard the man's uneven footsteps approaching, causing her to cower even more as he came into view. She bit her lip hard to keep herself from whimpering, but all she succeeded in doing was making her lip bleed.

The man looked around for Ruby, letting the once-tight grip on the hammer go slack and fall to his side. He did a general looking around, just a pass over everything to see if she was there, then he grumbled something to himself (or was he gargling his spit? Ruby couldn't tell, and frankly, she didn't want to know) and began to smash into a pile of cardboard boxes nearby. Ruby took that opportunity to sneak out from behind the dumpster and out of that area.

Once she was safe, she let out a sigh of relief and leaned back against the wall. She heard his heartbeat fade, letting her shoulders relax and her eyelids droop as she regained her composure. 'I'm safe. I'm safe.' she thought to herself over and over again, rubbing her eyes with hand and taking deep breaths to steady herself.

The click of a pistol hammer snapped her from her thoughts, and she looked up to see a woman holding a Dust pistol approaching. The woman was only a little taller than Ruby, wearing a tattered grey jacket and black jeans. Ruby took a step back, but her assailant brandished the gun threateningly, forcing Ruby to remain where she was.

"What the hell are you doin' here? Don't you know this is my territory?" The woman asked, pulling the gun back towards herself but keeping the business end pointed at Ruby. Ruby raised her hands, and that made the criminal smile.

"I-I don't know w-where I am. Please, I-I don't want any trouble." Ruby said, and her words made the woman smile in excitement and greed. Ruby's brain began to analyze the situation, looking for weaknesses in the woman's stance, her grip on the pistol, and as the girl watched, a plan formed in her mind.

"Well, missy, I'm feeling a little generous today, so I'm gonna cut you a deal." The woman spoke, and was about to continue before something made her stop. She turned to her right, looking at the wall for a moment as Ruby took the chance and lunged forward.

The gun fired once, but in the woman's surprise, she hadn't had time to aim. Ruby's hands grabbed the woman's wrist, twisting it before delivering a swift kick to her opponent's chest. The mugger doubled over, dropping the gun and dropping her guard for just a moment. Ruby snatched the pistol out of the air and grabbed the other's arm, jamming the barrel roughly against the base of her skull. Both of their movements ceased, and the thug's resistance crumbled completely as they both heard something that made them both shiver at how close it was.

Someone- or something- was furiously beating on the wall to their left.

It wasn't audible enough to discern what it was before they had stopped moving, but as they listened, they both noticed that whatever it was that was pounding was doing so in a furious desperation, as if it was being chased by something and had come to a dead end. The two looked one another in the eye (or as close as they could manage, given their current position) and then back at the wall as they heard a muffled scream and mechanical whirring coming from the other side.

"Hey, whaddya think is goin' on in th-" was all the thug in Ruby's hands could say before the blade of a chainsaw erupted through the wall, spraying blood and shredded organs across the two of them as the chain whirred at an imperceptible speed. The screaming was replaced with gurgling and choking as the chainsaw's operator began to slowly raise the end upwards, creating a horrible screeching as the blades scratched against the bricks. Ruby dropped the gun, and the two separated as the victim of this violent crime finally stopped breathing.

They had less than a second to react before the chainsaw was pulled from the wall and a deformed shoulder shattered it from the other side. Bits of brick and plaster showered the two girls as Ruby's former pursuer emerged from the storage room of a flower shop, gripping the old cattle hammer in his right hand and the grip of a large bluish-grey chainsaw in his left. He roared, revving the chainsaw as Ruby and the thug took off down the alley.

Ruby's lungs began to burn as she ran, sparing a glance over her shoulder as the noise of the chainsaw's engine grew closer. She screamed as she saw him _sprinting_ after them, chainsaw now held in both hands as he bore down upon her. Her midsection exploded into blood as it tore into her, leaving a gash that split through her ribcage and left lung and causing her footing to falter. She slammed into the ground as he let the saw's engine die, chasing down the thug with his hammer.

Ruby slowly rolled over onto her stomach, groaning as the broken glass and dust on the ground tore at her wound. Through her swimming vision and ringing ears, she witnessed the disfigured man grind his boot into the spine of the thug, listening to the bones crack before he fired up the saw again. The thug couldn't react as the saw slashed into her side, choking out her screams and causing her arms to flail from the pain it was causing her. The chain jerked and hitched as it hooked onto the edges of her vertebrae, and it took a few good hits from the cattle hammer to dislodge it.

As she succumbed to the darkness, Ruby could see the man crush the thug's skull under his boot before he turned back to her, staring with a snaggle-toothed smile as she slipped from consciousness.

* * *

"So," Ozpin said, thumbs lightly pressed against temples and fingers laced into his grey hair. "Officer, what I understand from what you just said is that three people have died, one of my students has been hospitalized, another has been left a vague threat- while she was in the walls of my school- and we have an unidentified murderer loose in the city." Ozpin finished his sentence, looking up at the holographic screen that was his computer and staring at the other man.

The man was rather large, fat and muscle equally balancing across his frame. He had a thick brown mustache, hazel eyes, and grey-streaked brown hair. The white shirt, black hat, black tie, and badge common for Valean police officers was his attire, although he had an earpiece he was receiving information through. The sunglasses most officers had were absent, as was the stoic demeanor that came with them.

"Yessir, that's about all of it." he said in a deep, accented voice, nodding his head affirmatively.

"And do you care explaining to me why I _just now_ learned about this?" Ozpin said back, snapping a little as he spoke. "Especially when the safety of not only my students, but the safety of the people of Vale is in danger?"

The policeman looked away from the camera, scratching the back of his head sheepishly as he did so. "Well, uh, y-you see," he began, racking his brain for an explanation. "We had to, u-um, make sure the g-girl was a-alright, an-and we needed t-to collect e-evid-dence."

Ozpin sighed. He hated dealing with the police, as it was always a hassle and he often ended up talking to an idiot who didn't know anything about the situation. As the officer on the other side babbled on, he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.

"Listen," Opin said, cutting him off. "Deal with it quickly. And keep it quiet until it's solved. The people have enough on their minds anyways." With that, Ozpin ended the video call, leaning back in his chair with his hands over his face.

After a long moment, he stood, pulling out his scroll as he walked to the elevator. He hit one of the buttons, sticking a hand in his pocket as he fiddled with the black glass device. As he reached the elevator, he pressed one of the basement level buttons, lifting the scroll to his ear as the doors to the elevators closed.

"Meet me in the second basement level. We have things to discuss." was all he said into the speaker before hanging up. As the elevator descended, Ozpin wiped the droplets of sweat from his brow as he clutched a silver and ivory ring in his left hand.

* * *

Ruby woke up slowly, gradually regaining her vision and sense of touch as the anesthesia wore off. She laid in bed for a few minutes, staring at the white hospital walls and various machines hanging around her as her head swam. She tried to remember how she'd gotten here, but the last thing she remembered was that disfigured guy, staring at her as she passed out, standing over…

Ruby tried to sit up quickly, but found herself bound down by a large leather strap around her middle and arms, and she could feel a few more around her legs as well. She tried to struggle, but stopped and cried out in pain as a searing pain erupted from her ribs and chest. She moved an arm to feel what was wrong, only to have her shoulder pushed down by a nurse that had just come in.

"Miss? Miss, you need to calm down!" the nurse said in a calm, yet anxious and stern voice, but it failed to comfort Ruby. She growled and snarled, trying to lash out against her restraints and defend herself. Desperation flashed in her glazed-over eyes as she tried to break free, ignoring the nurse's words until she was grabbed by the shoulders. Someone screamed "RUBY!" into her ear, finally snapping her out of the trance she was in.

As she blinked, she noticed that she was surrounded by doctors and hospital staff, all of them wearing looks of fear and shock on her faces. Ruby looked at each of them individually, cocking her head to the side in a questioning manner as she asked "What happened? What's going on?" in a shaky, very small voice.

One of the doctors blinked a few times, before straightening his hair and standing up straight. "Miss Rose, What is the last thing you remember?" he asked, his voice shaky and quiet.

Ruby quirked her eyebrow, completely confused, but began to tell what happened to the best of her memory, telling them about the chase, the woman, the man, and finally what had happened before she had passed out. The doctor who had spoken to her before seemed slightly less shocked than all the others, but all of them seemed terrified nonetheless.

"...M-miss Rose, we f-found you behind a d-de-destroyed flower shop, lying in a pool o-of y-your own blood. The only other thing w-we f-found was the… l-lower half of who we think is the woman you said you saw and the bifurcated body of the shop's owner. We didn't see anyone else." the doctor said with hesitation, the entire time looking very close to vomiting again. "You're going to need to stay here for a few days at the very least, so your Aura can begin it's regeneration of the tissue and bone, but you can't move too much during this time. We need for you to just rest, at least for now."

Ruby nodded, swallowing deeply and relaxing as the doctors began to adjust the tubes and wires connecting to her body. She closed her eyes, and her body seemed to relax as her eyes closed, drifting back to her sleep.

The teenager woke some time later, almost jolting awake as an argument began to erupt from just beyond the door to her room. She shifted slightly, listening as hard as she could through her sleep-addled brain. She felt as though something was blocking her Aura from lessening the pain in her abdomen.

"YOU DON'T GET IT! MY SISTER IS IN THERE, UNCONSCIOUS AND WOUNDED, AND I WANT TO SEE HER, DAMMIT!" Yang's voice roared through the door, causing Ruby to jump slightly. She hated to hear her sister so angry, especially about her, but she couldn't so much as whisper out to her that she was alright.

"Miss, I know you are worried, but you have to understand-" a voice- she presumed one of the doctors she had seen earlier- tried to speak, but Yang cut her off.

"No! I'm going to see my sister, and you aren't going to stop me!" she screamed, and Ruby could see her silhouette approaching the door, reaching a hand out before another stopped it.

"Yang." Weiss's stern voice broke through Yang's fury like a hammer through wood. "We're just as concerned about her as you are. She probably needs the rest."

"But Weiss-" Yang tried to protest, but Weiss jerked her away from the door with strength that was surprising for her thin frame.

"We'll come back tomorrow. We can leave the things we brought her here. I'm sure the doctor will take care of it." Weiss said, putting heavy emphasis on the last few words, and Ruby could practically feel the fear eminating from the doctor.

"O-o-of c-cou-course!" the doctor stammered, taking the bag from Weiss. Ruby heard him move for the door, but Yang grabbed him by the shirt, stopping his movement.

"I'm showing up first thing tomorrow. I'm going to see my sister when I get here, or there's going to be hell to pay. Got it, mister?" she said, her voice dropping in pitch slightly. Ruby heard nothing for a moment, then heard Yang release the doctor, and her two teammates left, leaving him alone.

Ruby laid back down, pretending to be asleep as the doctor came back in. She cracked an eyelid to see him carrying an overnight bag, filled with books, her diary, the other journal she'd found, and a few other things. She watched him sift through the contents, then check the various monitors around the room, then finally leave.

Ruby sighed as she closed her eyes, but before sleep could take her, she heard the bag rustling beside her. Her eyes shot open, looking at it and trying to discern the source of the sound in vain. After a moment of the rustling, it stopped, and Ruby gave up on trying to figure out what it was. Once again, she closed her eyes, content to fall asleep once more…

Until she felt thin, metal needle points pressing against her arm.

Ruby's eyes widened, but the damage was already done. The bracelet wrapped itself around her arm, crawling around it and solidifying instantly. A cold numbness spread across her arm, seeping from her bracelet. Ruby tried to struggle, but the numbness spread across her body, instantly relaxing the muscles where it spread. Ruby tried to scream, but all that came out was a whimper before she passed out.

* * *

 _Ruby emerged from the dark fog and collapsed. She was tired, but she didn't feel any of the effects of exhaustion or pain that she expected. She looked up to see the campfire barren, the dull glow illuminating only her as she stood._

 _Ruby was a little confused. 'How is no one here? I thought everyone got at least a little bit of a break,' she thought, approaching the light of the fire with slow, cautious steps. She sat down close by, and couldn't help but feel relaxed by the perfect warmth of the campfire. Even still, she had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was very wrong, and she couldn't shake it._

 _Ruby sat up as the smell of burning flesh filled the clearing, and she wasn't alone for long. From the fog, Bill, Claudette, the louder accented man she knew as David, and Nea emerged, all of them groaning loudly as they approached. Bill grinned as he saw her, jogging ahead to greet Ruby as she stood up. The two patted one another on the back, exchanging a simple greeting before the five of them sat down. David immediately stretched out and began to drift off, apparently exhausted from his last trial._

 _Ruby watched as Bill and Nea passed a cigarette back and forth, taking a couple drags each before passing it onto the other. It had always confused her as to how someone could get such a habit, but as she watched the display, she understood it a little bit more. She assumed her uncle was drunk so often because of something like this (something she would definitely ask him later)._

 _Ruby let herself relax, laying down on the uneven ground and staring up at the foggy sky. She let her eyes close, but she didn't get long to sleep as the harsh scent of burned skin hit her nostrils, and she was pulled to her feet as the fog near the edges of the forest thickened. Claudette, Meg, and Bill were already up, gathering equipment and passing it around. She was handed a decent looking toolbox by Nea, who was sporting a small smile._

 _The fog once again began to fill the clearing, but as Ruby watched, something materialized within the thick mist about ten meters away. Although Ruby couldn't make out much, she could tell whatever it was was humanoid, with hair done up in a ponytail and odd looking clothes that shimmered. As the fog rippled to seemingly make room for the new presence, Ruby caught a glimpse of the figure's face. Confusion turned to panic as the fog enveloped her, and she could only get out one word before the world around her vanished._

" _Pyrrha! H-"_

* * *

 _Ruby snapped to on the floor of a house, her back somewhat stiff from the rotted floorboards she'd been laying on. She sat up, taking in her surroundings before crawling to her feet. She was in an old house, the walls peeling and the plaster on the ceiling almost completely gone. Everything was creaky and old, and even though nothing had actually happened yet, Ruby got the feeling that the floor would collapse underneath her at any moment._

 _She slowly made her way across the top floor, careful to keep her steps quiet and soft as the floor groaned underneath her. She found a chest, but left it as she remembered her terrible experience in the basement. She peered around the corner, letting out a quiet cheer as she saw a generator sitting on the balcony._

 _She ran over to it, pulling open the panel on one side and cracking open the toolbox. She pulled out some electrical tape, tools, and socket swivels, using her technical know-how to reverse the damage done to it. She noticed one light in the distance click on as she finished hers, standing up as the innards of the generator clicked into place._

 _Suddenly, the heartbeat hit Ruby's ears, and she whirled around, spotting a figure in the distance. He was tall, hunched over, and had a cut up face, bits of his flesh stretched from his face down to his shoulder, connected by huge, metal staples. Stringy, knotted hair flowed behind his head, and his chainsaw and hammer glinted at his side. Ruby backed up as he looked up at her, and he sprinted for the house, chainsaw at the ready._

 _Ruby ducked down on the balcony, waiting until she couldn't see the killer anymore before leaping over the railing, hitting the ground two stories below and staggering her movement. She sprinted off as she heard the chainsaw revving behind her, leaping over a window frame as the sound approached. She heard the saw spark as it scratched against the wall behind her, and she felt some kind of satisfaction as she knew he'd crashed._

 _She dove over a pallet as he chased after her, a bit of the wood nicking her across the cheek as he sawed it into pieces. She ran as he chased her, jerking to the left and right occasionally to throw his chainsaw strikes off. She threw herself back into the corn, ducking down behind a particularly thick patch as he ran off, attempting to find her._

* * *

 **Happy New Year, everybody! Sorry about the late update, I just didn't get the time to write at all over the winter holidays. I'll try to get the next chapter written faster than this one.**

 **Reviews:**

 **RandomName3064: Yes, she does! I don't have the exact values finalized, but I'll introduce them later. About the possession, while that would be funny, it's more like their soul replaces hers for a while.**

 **Natstateguy: Yes, she would. I'm not sure about abilities yet, but I've been thinking about it for a while.**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: I'm glad my story makes that connection in your head.**

 **HydraLightning: You're welcome!**

 **Gunnrdgr8: I'm glad you enjoy it so much.**

 **Buzzsaw935: Is that a good damn?**

 **Anyways, I always love your reviews, so if you have a question, comment, or suggestion, leave a review!**

 **That Random Demon, signing off!**


	7. Chapter 6: Enduring Fury

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

* * *

 _Ruby walked through the corn, pushing at the stalks as they scratched against her skin and tore at her clothes. It wasn't what she'd expected, considering that her last two experiences in this nightmare were in cool, forested areas, and now she was trudging through a hot cornfield and could feel the sweat clinging to her skin. She hated this, and she was currently making her way to a large cattle barn in the distance, hoping it could provide her with at least some protection from the heat._

 _She kept her pace to a brisk walk, not wanting to attract the attention of the killer just yet. It was slower, sure, but she was willing to sacrifice speed for stealth just this once. She kept an ear out for anything that sounded out of place, but so far, nothing was off._

 _After what felt like five minutes, she made it to the cattle barn. With a sigh, she straightened up and wiped her face off with a damp sleeve. It didn't seem to get any colder over here, but the smell of rotting meat hung thick in the air, and that was what stopped her from heading inside. She didn't want to find out what the cause of that smell was._

 _She circled to the side, spotting a generator tucked into a couple hay bales a couple meters away. She briefly wondered why one would be here, against a rotting barn with no wires to attach the rusted metal pistons generating electricity to anything. Despite her confusion, she didn't question it, instead walking towards it._

 _As her thin fingers pulled apart the innards of the rusty generator, she heard the thrumming and clanking of a generator exploding to life somewhere in the distance. Before she could smile in relief, a loud scream pierced the air as someone was hung on a hook close by. She stood up, pulling away as she looked around, spotting a hook in the distance with a figure hanging from it._

 _She pulled away from the generator as one of the gears lurched to life, crushing one of the wire ends and causing the generator to explode with a shower of sparks and shrapnel. Ruby started to run, wanting to put as much distance between her and the source of the noise as she could. A light heartbeat caught her ear, and it only inspired her to run faster._

 _She dove back into the cornfield, the brittle stalks smashing against her shoulders, arms, and chest as she ran. She made twists and turns, trying to throw her pursuer off her trail with random movements. She heard someone running nearby, and as she emerged from the corn, she found herself in front of the hook she saw earlier, Bill lifting Claudette off of the sharp sacrificial hook. She tore off a strip of her red cape, and together, Bill and Ruby began to bandage Claudette's wounds rather quickly._

 _As soon as they were done, the corn nearby began to shake as a chainsaw's roar ripped through the air. The three fanned out as the Hillbilly sprinted from the cornfield, chasing after them. Ruby looked around and began to panic as she didn't see any way of escaping this situation. The momentary panic was all the Hillbilly needed, as he caught up with her and thrust the chainsaw into her back. Ruby screamed as the blades of the saw cut down her spine and side, losing her footing and falling forward as the Hillbilly cut the power to the engine. She felt his foot slide under her stomach, but before he could turn her over or lift her up, a voice cut through the air._

" _HEY, YA UGLY BITCH!" Meg screamed from a distance, catching both Ruby and the Hillbilly off guard. Ruby heard the man over her growl, and Meg seemed to notice as well. "YEAH, YOU HEARD ME! YOU'RE AN UGLY BITCH, AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO SAY IT! I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU!" The athlete continued, and her words seemed to hit the killer hard. With a roar, he sprinted for her, and she turned and ran off in response. Ruby attempted to stop the two of them, but they were gone before she finished her sentence._

 _Ruby sighed, looking around and seeing no one. She checked again, just to make sure no one was there, before voicing her mind. "Ugh...gods damn it."_

* * *

 _Pyrrha woke in a thick fog, nothing but dark silver mist surrounding her. She couldn't feel the ground under her feet, and yet she wasn't falling. She looked around, looking for anything she could use to figure out where she was._

 _Suddenly, the fog began to clear, and someone's voice cut through the cool air. "Pyrrha! H-" the voice was cut off, but as Pyrrha looked around, she could not find anything that could make a voice so high-pitched. All that was around was a campfire, a couple half-logs, and a thick forest surrounding the clearing. She looked around, then checked herself over for anything she could use to defend herself._

 _After checking most of the pockets in the casual outfit she found herself in, she looked up to see a man in She let out a yelp at the sight (not that she was afraid of him, just that she thought she was alone), which startled him into yelling too. Pyrrha slid one foot back, settling into a defensive stance as she had done so many times before. It had been a while since she had to fight using only her fists, but if she could remember the basics, she knew she could do good enough._

 _Imagine her surprise, though, when the man raised his hands in the universal sign of surrender. Pyrrha dropped her guard for a second, cocking her head to one side and raising her eyebrow. The man took a step forward, but Pyrrha raised her arms, settling back into a fighting stance._

" _Hey. I'm not gonna hurt you." he said, lowering his arms and extending a hand. Pyrrha took a moment, but after just a second of hesitation, she accepted the handshake. His grip was firm, much stronger than hers currently was, but it was also caring, not being tight enough to actually hurt her. Pyrrha became a little less tense as she shook his hand, beginning to accept where she was._

" _David." The man said, snapping her back to reality. "David King."_

" _Huh?" she asked, blinking once or twice before realizing what he was saying. "O-oh. Well, David, I am Pyrrha Nikos." She added, beginning to smile a little._

 _David's face cracked into a wide smile, and he let go of her hand as they walked towards the campfire. The two sat on a log stacked on a couple more, making a makeshift bench that was surprisingly stable considering it's unstable composition. They sat and began to talk, Pyrrha beginning to understand what was going on, and David learning more about Pyrrha and where she came from._

 _Suddenly, the fog at the edge of the clearing rippled, fluctuating with a crackle as a male figure in a dirty, white shirt and a pair of black denim jeans, wearing a pair of thick-rimmed glasses, appeared from within it. He stumbled forward, wiping some of the grime off of his shirt as he steadied himself, before looking up at Pyrrha._

 _His slight look of fear was replaced by one of irritation as David stood up, crossing to him quickly. "Again?" The black-haired male murmured, letting his head droop down in exhaustion._

 _David, seeming to know what was going on, patted him on the back before leading the other back towards Pyrrha. "Hey, cheer up Dwight," David said as the two sat down, Dwight pushing his glasses back up his nose as he sat. "The more the merrier, as my old coach used to say! More of us means more skills put into the mix, which means more of a chance to get out. It's all right, man. Just look at the bright side for once."_

 _Dwight smiled, sighing as he looked up at David. "I understand what you're saying, but I just can't help but feel like something is… changing. Something's happening, and I'm not sure we're going to like the result." The leader said, sparing a glance to Pyrrha, who had been silently staring at the two the whole time._

 _David looked ready to say something, but at that moment, the world seemed to shake and crackle around Pyrrha as burning flesh seemed to fill the air. The two others seemed to notice as well, as they scrambled for things, screaming phrases such as, "Where's that damn purple flashlight?!", "Gimme that shroud- no, not that one, the other one- you know what, I've got it.", and "Dammit, no more Lery's offerings." Pyrrha had no idea what half of what they were saying meant, and it was made all the more confusing by all of the things they were throwing, burning, and passing around without seemingly any pattern._

 _By the time the fog had encircled them completely, Pyrrha was holding an Emergency Medkit, packed full of bandages and gauze, Dwight was holding a heavy, black flashlight, outfitted with a secure grip and a powerful halogen bulb, and David was brandishing a large Mechanic's toolbox. Pyrrha didn't have time to do anything else, as the fog enveloped her body, blocking out the noise, sights, and feelings of the world around her._

* * *

' _Left, right, left, right,' was the only thing Ruby was thinking as she crawled across the ground, trying to stick to the tall grass ot the brittle corn stalks as she moved._

 _She had lost track of how long she'd been laying on the ground, but it was long enough for the rest of the group to complete two generators, powering the exit gates. She was crawling towards the glowing outline of the large switch on the wall, hoping to find someone there that could patch up the gaping wound on her back. It was a slow, tedious process, and Ruby could feel the exhaustion coming on from the blood loss, but that wasn't about to stop her._

 _She let her mind wander as she crawled, wondering about things that a person her age shouldn't need to worry about. She thought about the sacrifices, the encounter she had with the Hillbilly during that day, and what it all meant. 'Is there some ulterior motive? How am I going to explain this to my team?' were the most frequent thoughts on her mind, but she allowed them to be suppressed underneath the burning flame of her will as she kept moving._

 _The hammering heartbeat of the crooked man caught Ruby's ears, and she began to worry. An alarm sounded in front of her, as if it was announcing a beacon of safety that was coming shortly. She breached the tall grass to see that massive door slide into the wall with a shriek of rusting metal and the person at the switch- Claudette was her name, right?- dart off into the safety beyond it._

" _Hey! HEY!" she tried to call for the other woman, but it was too late. She was out of earshot, and no sooner did she go than the Hillbilly emerged from outside of Ruby's vision. He looked after the botanist's fleeing figure, then lurched forward, hoisting Ruby onto his shoulder as he did so._

 _Ruby screamed, kicking and flailing her limbs furiously. She wasn't about to die, not when she was this close to victory! But as she looked over her shoulder, seeing the outline of a rusty meathook approaching swiftly, her escape attempts became desperate as she cried and wailed, thinking of the end. But as suddenly as she was lifted, she felt the crooked man's grip slack for just a moment, allowing her to wriggle free._

 _She let out a shout of joy as she bolted off, the Hillbilly gripping his nose for a moment before turning and sprinting after. Ruby knew she had little time to get there as she heard the saw howl once again, but as sher hope dwindled, she saw a window frame just to her left, and she got an idea. As the Hillbilly approached, she made a hard left, vaulting through the window with grace as her pursuer's weapon was snagged by the wooden frame, causing him to stagger back as he tried to fix it._

 _Ruby darted through the crumbling bricks of the exit area, sprinting off into the thick fog beyond. She spared a glance behind her, watching as the Hillbilly stared after her, then turned back to continue his hunt with whoever was left. Knowing she was safe, she slowed to a walk, holding her shoulder as she did so._

 _She looked around at the endless expanse of fog, wondering just where the hell she was supposed to be going. She didn't see the forest she had last time, and she had no one to point her into the right direction, so she had no clue where she was supposed to find safety in this endless expanse of wilderness. She sighed, picking a direction and walking for a ways._

 _Eventually, the fog parted, and she saw the glimmer of light between the thick trees she was approaching. She grinned, breaking out into a jog and ducking through the thick woods that blocked her path. She walked into the clearing, expecting to see people, but only finding the dim firelight and the logs surrounding it. As her smile faded, a sharp pain erupted from her neck once again, and she fell to the ground, falling unconscious in an instant._

* * *

Ruby awoke with a start, not remembering that she was bound down and struggling frantically against her bonds. As she settled back into her body, she remembered everything that had happened earlier that day, causing her to relax a little. She was in her hospital bed, safe and sound, no murdery chainsaw wielders anywhere nearby.

As she laid back down, she saw the sheets rustle by her right hand. She remembered how the bracelet had latched onto her hand earlier that night, but when she patted around her hand, she couldn't find any sign of it being there. She sighed, exhausted, before she looked at the clock. 4:15 AM. She was up early.

The door to her room opened, and Ruby was surprised to see a dark haired woman in an old dress walking into the room with a food tray. The woman set down the tray, turning around and looking at the girl before realizing that she was awake. "Oh!" she said in surprise, her voice betraying her young appearance, as it sounded like she was talking through a sheet and with a raspy edge to it. "I'm sorry, do you need anything?"

"No, no, I just woke up." Ruby said, smiling a little as she spoke. "I'm fine for now."

The woman smiled, walking over to Ruby and patting her on the shoulder. "Well, if you need anything, just press this little button." She said, handing Ruby the little remote with the call button on it. "I'll be right over if you need me." With that, the woman stood up, walking over to the door.

"Hey!" Ruby called, stopping the woman in her tracks. "I don't know your name."

The woman chuckled, putting a hand to her mouth. "Oh, my name's Sally, Miss Rose." she said, and for the briefest moment, Ruby could've sworn that the woman's eyes glowed a dull red-orange. "Nurse Sally Smithson." And with that, she closed the door behind her, leaving Ruby alone in the dark.

* * *

 **Hey Ultimate Kuuga, you remember when you told me that this was gonna become Saw if it kept up? Hahaha… I didn't think you were serious.**

 **Anyways, I'm gonna have to shift my update schedule a little bit, as I've been running out of creative energy for both this and a biweekly thing I'm doing, so the next chapter of this will be coming out on February 9th instead of the 2nd. But, not to worry,as I'll be trying as hard as I can to get this next chapter to be the best I can make it.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Buzzsaw935: Later, my friend, but for now, she's stuck as a survivor. And for your second question, she'd need to get a merciless victory to "win" that night.**

 **HydraLightning: I know it probably doesn't make much sense, but I had that plan for a while, and I was overjoyed to write it finally.**

 **Gunnrdgr8: Thanks!**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy it.**

 **VanguardFirepower: Thanks!**

 **Guest: I was not expecting this long of a review, holy shit. I'm glad you enjoy it, and I have to agree that I'm not a fan of the absolute gorefest stories, as horror isn't all about jumpscares, blood, and gore, but the psychological aspect of it too. What it does to the people in it, too. I'm glad your opinion changed, as with this story, I tried to get as much of both sides as I could in it. I wanted to capture the light-hearted, yet serious themes of the early Volumes of RWBY, but also the violent nature of Dead By Daylight. I love the little motivational speech for Ruby at the end, and I thank you for your kind words.**

 **Anyways, I was asked last chapter about perk values and names, and after some much needed sleep and relaxation, I have compiled some values that I think will work well. Here they are:**

 _ **Blooming Rose:**_ _Your speed is your most powerful ability. When in the healthy or injured state, you can tap into your Aura to increase your speed to 150% for 3/5/7 seconds. Causes Exhaustion for 70/60/50 seconds._

 _ **Silver Beacon:**_ _You stand as a leader and a fighter, inspiring hope within your allies. When you or an ally within an 8 meter range meets the criteria for a single-use perk that has been used, the perk has a 10/20/30 % chance of activating again. This perk goes on cooldown for 120/110/90 seconds after activation._

 **So, what do you think? These aren't final values, but they're the basic idea of what I have in mind.**

 **Anyways, I am completely open to suggestions as to things I can change, lineups for each match (who goes in with Ruby, basically), and which killers Ruby should fail to get away from. I have also extended the deadline for the perk poll (which is up on my profile) to March, as I underestimated how long I'd be on making these chapters. I love listening to my fans, and I'd love to hear your feedback!**

 **That Random Demon, signing off!**


	8. Chapter 7: One Last Breath

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

* * *

Ruby's day was turning out to be rather relaxing (or, as relaxing as it could be, given her circumstances). She'd been recovering much faster than the doctors had previously predicted, and as a result, they'd left her arms free from the restraints and promised to let her walk around a little later in the day. Her friends had stopped by earlier, and even though she tried to reassure them that she was fine, she was sure they didn't believe her.

At the moment, she was sitting still, staring out of the window of her first floor hospital room, thinking about her current predicament. She already knew the beast in the Fog could send things from Its world, but, she wondered, how long could they stay for? How much could It send at a time? If It could send things in, could she bring things through as well?

These thoughts were interrupted as Nurse Smithson came into the room, carrying a tray of food taken from the cafeteria. It wasn't much, just a half-loaf of bread, a bowl of stew, and a glass of water, but Ruby was hungry, and it looked delicious. Sally walked over, pulling over a small desk to set the tray on and raising the bed so Ruby was able to reach it.

As Ruby began to eat, Sally grabbed a clipboard from the bedside table, sitting down on the other side of the room and beginning to mark something down. Ruby watched from her periphere, eating her stew and bread to throw off any suspicion of her intentions. For the most part, she didn't get any glances, save for one when she started eating the bread by itself, but that was just making sure she didn't choke. As she ate, Nurse Smithson scribbled furiously on the paper, only stopping when her scroll buzzed in her pocket.

"Oh! Excuse me for one moment." she said, standing up and setting the clipboard down on the bedside table. She stepped out of the room rather hurriedly, almost slamming the door behind her. Ruby sat up, snatching the clipboard from the table and flipping through it.

Almost immediately, Ruby knew something was wrong. This wasn't a medical file, this was a form for mental disorders. A ticket, labelled 'Ruby Rose: To be committed to Crotus Prenn Asylum.' was stapled to the top, and Ruby got panicked. She wasn't crazy, right? Her wounds were real, or at least she could feel them, and she hadn't ever been to a psychiatrist's before. She started to shake as she read over the form, noting how accurate everything was.

She lifted the page, and her heart skipped a beat. The next person, Phillip Elliot, was labelled deceased. She flipped the pages, checking each one over and over again but coming up with a horrifying conclusion. Every single person on the clipboard, excluding her and the last person, was labelled deceased. Each one of them was committed to Crotus Prenn, and all of them were dead. Ruby put a hand over her mouth, holding in a sob as she flipped to the last form.

The form was labelled 'Sally Smithson', the name of the nurse who had been taking care of her. However, this one had a note attached, reading 'Send for mental evaluation: showing symptoms of bipolar disorder.' Ruby scanned over the form, checking over the form. Most of the stuff matched the other forms, showing height, weight, hair color, etc., with one major difference.

Sally's folder was marked 'Missing: presumed dead.'

Ruby set the clipboard down with a shaky hand, tears running down her face. She was on a list of deceased mental patients, the nurse who had been taking care of her for the past few days was presumed dead, and to top it all off, everyone on that list was committed to Crotus Prenn Asylum, a place she'd never heard of. So, that begged the question:

Was she the next to die?

* * *

 _Pyrrha collapsed in pain, biting her lip hard as she cracked open the medkit she was holding. She had appeared in this place with David, but they had to immediately split up when a bark-skinned monster wielding a bladed skull had suddenly appeared in a burst of embers and the toll of a bell. Pyrrha had ran for a long time, her pursuer managing to slash at her shoulder and draw blood before he was distracted by a light flashing on in the distance._

 _She grabbed the bandages and gauze pads, cleaning out her shoulder wound as best as she could before she closed it off with bandages. It hurt, more than she'd ever thought possible, especially since her Aura hadn't shielded her from the blow. She shrugged it off, standing up and closing the considerably lighter medkit when she was done._

 _She hadn't gleaned much from David or Dwight before the sudden arrival of the fog, just that she had to survive. Pyrrha sighed, picking a direction and choosing to walk until she found something that looked important. Her steps were light, soft against the ground and to her ears as her combat training kick in. 'This is just another test, Pyrrha,' She thought to herself. 'Keep low, stay on the lookout, and have a plan.'_

 _Pyrrha emerged from the trees she had hid in, walking towards a patch of ruined walls and storage crates. She was following a heavy, clunky, rusted sound, one that she hadn't heard before. It sounded… old, man-made and rusted, and this was the only thing she'd heard other than the sounds of the forest and the tree man's growling._

 _Pyrrha was surprised to see an old, red and rusted generator sitting behind the corner, the pistons on top shifting slightly. The innards of the mechanical beast were bared, and Pyrrha briefly wondered what the purpose of it was. Then she realized that the light mounted on a wooden post above it was flickering, signaling it's lack of power._

 _Pyrrha kneeled down, grabbing the first wires she saw and trying to figure out a rhythm to the madness. She had hardly any idea what to do, having never touched any older machine except for a troop transport vehicle in a Great War museum, and she had little experience with generators regardless of their age._

 _So it came as no surprise to her when a surge of electricity caused the generator to explode with sparks, forcing the champion to cover her face to avoid the hot sparks burning her. She let out a curse, touching the generator's metal surface a few times to make sure it was safe to touch before attempting once again. A feeling of dread settled over her as she did, however._

 _As the machine she was working on groaned and creaked to life, she became aware of a sound that instantly made her sweat bullets. Light, soft steps were approaching rapidly, sounding as if the person running was barefoot. She remembered that Dwight and David had been wearing shoes, and she hadn't seen anyone else, so there was only one left who could be approaching._

 _Pyrrha turned and screamed as the Wraith struck his bell, emerging from the spirit world and raising his skull blade to strike._

* * *

Ruby put her feet on the ground, almost falling over due to the shift in balance. The doctor beside her held her upright, releasing his grip once she was stable. The shift in balance caused her side to throb in dull pain, but she ignored it as she began to take slow, sluggish steps. It wasn't that she was too in pain to walk, but rather her body and Aura were adjusting to standing up after what felt like ages of laying in the bed.

The doctor watched her, jotting something down every so often. She tried not to look at him, remembering what had happened earlier that day and fearing what was being written down. She stopped thinking about it as she almost tripped over her own feet, managing to catch herself on the wall. She stood back up as the doctor set his clipboard down, standing up and smiling at Ruby.

"Well, everything seem to check out. You should be released in a few days." he said. "I'm surprised, Miss Rose. Most people would take weeks or months to recover from that kind of wound, but your Aura appears to be potent enough to regenerate even the deadliest of wounds. The nurse will be back shortly to help you back into bed." With that, he stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Ruby sat down on the bed, staring at the floor. She was exhausted, and it wasn't the walking that had made it set in. The hospital was suffocating. She felt closed off, and that was the last thing she wanted given her current circumstances. She'd prefer being in Professor Port's class right now to this, and that class was boring, even to Weiss, the girl that found a way to make everything boring.

She looked up at the ceiling as the nurse came in, sliding onto the bed and preparing to be strapped back down. She closed her eyes, feeling the strap go over her calves. However, a scream ripped through the air, causing Ruby's eyes to snap open in alarm. She saw the nurse strapping her in backing away from the figure who had materialized at the foot of Ruby's bed. The nurse backed up, grabbing for something on the cart beside her to defend herself with.

The figure by her feet was dressed in a burned dress, a dirty linen pillowcase tied around her face, and long wrappings on her arms. Blood covered her hands, which gripped an equally bloody bonesaw, which she rubbed with soft, silky strokes. She was wheezing and coughing, as if there was something wrapped around her throat and restricting her breathing. She stared through the dirty linen at the other nurse as she raised her left hand, three glowing spheres dancing lazily within it.

Suddenly, with a scream, the figure had burst into embers and materialized in front of the other nurse, slashing at the poor woman's throat with the blood-caked bonesaw, carving a long red slice across the woman's throat. The nurse choked, grabbing at her throat as she fell to the ground, but the figure wasn't interested in her. With another screech, she was floating- yes, actually floating four inches over Ruby's body- over Ruby, lunging her now empty arms at the young girl's throat.

Ruby's hands instinctively reached out to struggle against the chokehold, but the figure was strong, which betrayed their frail limbs and thin frame. Ruby tried to beat the figure's face to get them off, but heer struggle only made the grip on her throat tighten. As Ruby's strength faded, she reached out to one side of her with an arm, searching around for something to stab the woman with. She fumbled and patted around as her strength faded, and just when she was seeing spots in her vision, she felt the pen slide under her palm.

With all of her remaining strength, she grabbed the writing utensil and jammed it into the figure's neck, causing blood to spray from the wound. The figure released her, falling off the bed and clutching at the wound. Ruby tried to flee, but she had lost too much air during the struggle, and coupled with the exhaustion already taking her over, she began to pass out. The last thing she heard was Sally Smithson's voice, now old and frail but still raspy, calling out to her.

"Oh Ruby, why couldn't you see that I was trying to help you?"

* * *

 _Pyrrha clutched at the meathook speared through her shoulder, grunting and whining in pain. She hadn't been on this hook for long, but she was starting to lose hope that she would be saved, especially now that the massive gate nearby was open. She didn't know anything about what was happening, only knowing that if she hung there for long enough, she would die._

 _She watched her two allies running around to distract the tall hunter that hung her here, and she wished that she could at least do something to help. She needed a weapon or something that could be used as one. Hell, she'd take a lead pipe as a weapon-_

 _Suddenly, she had a realization. She looked up at the top of the hook she was hanging from, feeling around for rust or oxidation. She knew the risks of opening a wound on rusty metal, but she had to know what she was working with. Her hand brushed across the blood-caked metal, feeling around for any rusty spots._

 _It didn't take long for her to find what she was looking for. She deduced that the hook she was hanging from was iron, and as soon as she made this discovery, she put her plan into action. A crimson and maroon aura surrounded her hands, and she tapped the hook she was hanging from before pushing her hands downwards. The metal creaked and groaned as it reacted to her polarity, bending easily and allowing her to slide off and onto the ground._

 _Once she was on the ground, she gestured back towards the now ruined hook, gripping it with her polarity again. That stunt had taken a lot out of her, despite how long she'd spent perfecting the usage of her Semblance. She focused, feeling her Aura strain as the hook resisted, but finally the metal tore free from it's support. She let out a grunt as she swung the heavy ruined hook, hurling it at the bark-skinned humanoid just as David leapt through a ruined window._

 _The prowler was struck with the blunt edge of the metal, falling to one knee as it recovered. Pyrrha began to run for the gate, knowing that she didn't have much time to celebrate as she saw him stand back up and right himself. She sprinted past the sliding metal door, past the ruined brick archways, and out into the misty field beyond. She let out an excited half-laugh as she saw the ruined walls vanish behind her, leaving her alone._

 _David sprinted up to her side a short moment later, panting heavily. "That was some shit, ya know?" he said between labored breaths. "What you did back there was somethin' else."_

 _Pyrrha smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her neck with her left hand. "It was nothing. I was just trying to help." she said, looking away from him for a moment._

" _Y'don't happen to be from a place called Vale, do ya?" he asked. She looked at him, confused and a little concerned._

" _Well, no, but I did live there before I…" Pyrrha struggled to find the right words. "...showed up here."_

" _Well, holy shit." David said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Someone else from Vale showed up here some time ago. Little girl, I guess about fifteen. Black hair, silver eyes, some kinda red cape wrapped around her shoulders. Can't remember her name…"_

 _Pyrrha looked at him, alarmed. "Ruby's here?" she almost shouted, stopping in place. He jumped, surprised at the outburst, then nodded as he processed what she said._

" _Why, you know her or somethin'?" he asked. Pyrrha gave him a look of 'no shit, buddy', but before she could say anything, a wave of exhaustion swept over her, and she collapsed to the ground._

 _David was at her side in an instant. "Whoa, you alright?" he asked, then noticed the bleeding wounds covering her body. "Shit, we need to get those patched up."_

 _Pyrrha brushed him off as he tried to help her up. "'M fine." she muttered. "Just need… a nap…" With that, she let herself fall to the darkness behind her eyelids. She felt herself being picked up, heard someone screaming, but it wasn't long before everything was quiet._

* * *

Pyrrha woke with a start, startling the occupants of JNPR's dorm. She breathed heavily as she registered where she was, then threw the covers off of herself and stood up.

"Well, look who's up!" Nora said, standing up and walking up beside her. "You've been out for like forever! You even missed the visit with Ruby!" At the mention of Ruby, Pyrrha bolted to the dresser, tearing through her clothes to find a comfortable outfit to wear.

"Whoa, Pyrrha. What's wrong?" Jaune asked, but the champion didn't hear him, sprinting into their dorm bathroom and slamming the door. Not a minute later, she burst out, wearing a red long-sleeved shirt, black and baggy sweatpants, a pair of running shoes, and a bronze-colored hoodie. She ran back to the nightstand, shoving her scroll, her wallet, and a fistfull of Lien into her pockets before sprinting to the landing docks.

Her three teammates took off after her, calling after her with concern int their voices. She didn't acknowledge or answer them, only running faster as they called. She shoved through the doors, climbing into the cabin of the first airship she saw and handing the attendant a large stack of Lien. "Take me to Vale." she said in a hoarse voice, before turning away and sitting down. Her three teammates climbed on after her, Ren stopping to pay for their fare. The doors closed, and the airship took off for Vale.

"Pyrrha? Pyrrha, what's going on?" Jaune said, putting his hand on her left shoulder. She winced, slapping his hand away and sliding further down the bench. They were stunned into silence. Pyrrha _never_ got scared. They knew she could feel emotions other than happiness, excitement, and calm, but they'd never seen her scared before.

"Hey Pyrrha, cheer up!" Nora said, the smile that had been missing returning to her face. "It was just a bad dream-"

"NO!" Pyrrha screamed, sitting bolt upright with a look of rage and fear on her face. "IT WASN'T A DREAM!" She stood up, beginning to pace back and forth in the cabin. "Dreams don't hurt you! Dreams won't feel like real life!" she began to scream, looking more crazed by the second. "Dreams don't last all night! This doesn't happen because of dreams!"

With that, she pulled the collar of her shirt over her shoulder, exposing the fresh stab wound through her shoulder. It was red, swollen, and oozed blood and pus in slow trickles down her shoulder. It was fresh, the one on the front of her shoulder being the exit wound and a matching one on her back. She looked at the three of them, as if daring them to talk. They were too stunned to say a word.

"I told you… it wasn't a dream." She said, collapsing back into her seat. The rest of the flight to Vale was flown in silence, everyone too afraid to say another word.

* * *

Ruby awoke to people surrounding her and a throbbing pain around her neck. She shifted slightly against the pillow, and gasped in pain as it sent spikes of agony shooting through her. This caught the attention of the people surrounding her, which she noticed were mostly hospital staff and policemen, and seconds later they were on her, in her face and asking her hundreds of questions.

"One at a time! One at a time!" she said, covering her face with her hands. The people backed off, and one officer stepped forward.

"Miss Rose, can you tell me what happened here?" he asked, pulling out a pen and notepad and preparing to write.

Ruby scratched her shoulder, taking a deep breath before she began. She explained how she'd been in the process of being put back in bed, when someone with a pillowcase covering their face came into the room, slashed at the other nurse's throat and proceeded to almost choke Ruby to death. She explained how she'd gotten the other off, then realized that the nurse who had been attacked earlier wasn't there.

"She's alright, Miss Rose." The officer said. "It didn't hit any major arteries, and we found you not long after the wound was opened."

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. The rest of the interview was a blur, Ruby answering a bunch of questions for the cops only to get more piled on afterwards. Eventually, they left, and Ruby was left alone for a long while. She sat there, rubbing the bruise around her neck and looking around the room. To be honest, she was getting bored.

At least, until Pyrrha burst into the room, tears streaming down her face and looking like she'd just woken up.

Ruby got the wind knocked out of her as the champion flung her body onto Ruby in a tackle hug, and all she could do was hug back as the redhead cried into her shoulder. Ruby was surprised. She'd never seen Pyrrha cry, and she'd certainly never seen her act so… scared. She was terrified, but of what, Ruby wasn't sure.

"Hey…" Ruby rasped out when her voice returned to her, patting the older student's back gently. Pyrrha looked up at her with red, tear-filled eyes, and Ruby couldn't help but start to tear up as well.

"That was you, wasn't it?" Pyrrha said between sobs. "You said my name at the fire. I heard you."

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, that was me. I didn't expect to see you there." She said, looking down at the bed.

"What is that place?" the red-haired huntress in training asked. "Why were we there? Why were you there?"

Ruby looked away from Pyrrha, a look of deep regret on her face. "I… I made a choice, and I have to follow through with it. If I forfeit, I have to face the 'loser's punishment'." She sighed, looking back at Pyrrha. "I regret it already, and I'm not even a quarter of the way through the bargain." As Ruby spoke, she brushed her hand over the wound through Pyrrha's shoulder, causing her to wince.

"You're hurt." Ruby said, shifting in place and looking worried. Pyrrha grimaced, then looked away.

"It… It carried over. I'll be fine." She said, then looked back at Ruby. "You're hurt too." she added as she brushed the hand-like bruises wrapping around Ruby's neck, feeling where the fingernails had left divets in the skin. Ruby winced, pushing her hands away.

"It's fine. I'll be fine." Ruby said, looking away. The two sat in silence for a while, neither willing to say anything. Ruby looked to the door, noticing how four figures were sitting outside, waiting. She grew somber, her calm expression getting a little sad as she knew that she would be in here for longer, thanks to her fresh injury. She pushed that though to the back of her mind, patting Pyrrha on the back.

"Listen, Pyrrha." She said, looking down at the redhead. "I'll be fine. They're sending an officer to watch for anything I do in my sleep, and he'll make sure that I stay safe. For now, just enjoy your day, and we'll see each other later. Alright?"

Pyrrha smiled, nodded, and stood, walking over to the door and giving Ruby one last wave as she left. Ruby waved back, and as soon as the other girl left, she stuck her hand into her bag, pulling out the bracelet and looking over it again. It looked innocent enough, and even though she knew what it could do, she couldn't help but slide it under her blankets, setting it beside her as she relaxed.

* * *

The rest of the day passed without much incident, the only thing to note was meeting the officer who would be watching over her tonight. He was called Officer Matthews, and she had to admit, he looked like a man who would be perfect for the job. Black hair, a little bit of a beard and mustache, bags under his eyes, wearing the typical Vale police uniform along with an earpiece, which he said was for hourly check-ins with the nurse on-call. He brought in a cup of coffee, a notebook full of notes for something he was planning with a couple friends, and a book to read when the night was quiet.

Ruby liked him. He was friendly, talked with an accent, and would humor her silliness whenever she wanted him to, though he was very serious. Still, she couldn't help but feel a little suspicious around him.

"All set?" He asked, sitting down in a chair by the door and resting his hand by the lightswitch. She nodded, sliding on her bracelet as the light clicked off. Before long, Ruby was fast asleep, blind and deaf to the world around her.

* * *

 _Ruby woke up on the ground. She briefly wondered how she'd gotten there, then remembered how she had fallen asleep last time she was here. Slowly, she sat up, looking around her to clear her mind._

 _She was sitting close to the fire, Pyrrha a couple yards to her left. The redhead was bandaged up, indicating that she hadn't made it out of the last game unscathed. Nea and David sat nearby, conversing over a cigarette Nea had stolen from Bill (though David was only taking occasional drags, while Nea held onto it for a while before passing it back). Meg and Claudette were doctoring up a leg wound on the former, though Meg wasn't too happy about it, evident by the stream of curses coming from her mouth. Quentin was sitting to Ruby's right, sporting the biggest bags under his eyes that Ruby had ever seen. Everyone else was absent from the campfire._

 _Ruby nudged Pyrrha a couple times, waking the girl with a start. Pyrrha jerked her head around, but after she saw Ruby sitting nearby, she calmed down. The two smiled at one another, just as the cigarette burned out in Nea's hand. The punk pitched it into the fire, then noticed how both Ruby and Pyrrha were awake._

" _Well, look who's up." she said, looking at Ruby. "Is the ground that comfortable?"_

 _Ruby smiled. "Don't knock it 'til you try it. It's better than it looks." That earned a smirk from Nea and David, the latter looking at Pyrrha shortly after._

" _Pyrrha, right?" he said, before launching into introductions. "This is Nea, the insomniac over there is Quentin, the one cursing like a sailor is Meg, and the one patching Meg up is Claudette." He stopped, then added, "You and Ruby friends or somethin'?"_

 _Pyrrha nodded, standing up shakily as she did. "Where's Dwight?" she asked, looking around for him._

" _He went off into a trial with Bill, Feng, and Laurie a while ago. Should be back soon." Nea said. As she spoke, Meg and Claudette came back to the circle around the fire, Meg growling something rather rude under her breath. Nea turned to Claudette, jerking her head towards Pyrrha as she did. Claudette sighed, joining Quentin as they began to change Pyrrha's bandages._

 _After about a minute, the air filled with a familiar smell as Ruby felt something watching her. She dug around through the small stockpile of things around the fire, searching for a flashlight, but coming up empty-handed. She sighed, grabbing the first thing she could- a rusted key hooked to a rope ring of some kind- before the fog began to surround them. She stood, feeling the cold air surround her as everything went dark._

* * *

 _When Ruby woke, she found herself just outside of the shack she'd seen at the place with all of the cars. The air smelled of ash, and the grass and dirt seemed blackened with soot and ash. She stood, taking a peek inside the shack. She spied no generator, but that dreaded basement staircase was in there._

" _Nope." Ruby said to herself as she turned and ran in the other direction._

 _She passed by trees bare of leaves and branches, small and blackened piles of bricks, pallets, and grass of every kind before she found herself at a large, burned out building. It was tall, probably four or five stories in its prime but only two had survived. Metal and concrete were destroyed in some places, allowing access to the building through small holes or broken windows._

 _Ruby ducked inside, climbing the stairs to her left and spying a generator in the large central room. She cautiously walked in, squeaking in surprise as a distant screech ripped through the air. When she figured out that she wasn't in danger, she let out the breath she was holding and kneeled down beside the generator._

 _She began to work, trying to ignore the screeches that were slowly coming closer. Eventually, she heard Nea scream just a little way away. She panicked, sprinting off from the generator and towards a hole in the wall to look out._

 _She saw Nea, lying on the ground just a few feet away from the base of the building. Sitting above her was the same woman who had choked her to unconsciousness at the hospital. Her skin was burned, white bone showing through the visible skin on her hands. She was floating above the ground, and her legs were rail thin, even without the burns covering her. The saw in her grip glistened with fresh blood as she looked up at Ruby through the ruined linen._

 _Ruby backed away from the hole, hearing a screech as a ghostly wind whipped past her. She turned as the woman's bonesaw dug into her shoulder, screaming as she lost her footing and slammed into the wall. Her weight managed to be too much for the frail, torched surface, as it shattered on impact and caused her to fall to the hard ground two stories below. She let out a cry of pain as she felt a couple of her ribs crack, but she powered through it, standing up and taking off for the trees. She heard another screech as the woman appeared a ways behind her, then another as the specter blinked closer. Ruby made a hard left, tossing down a pallet and running away from the ghastly woman. She looked back, looking for the woman- only for her stomach to fall into her shoes._

 _The woman blinked straight through the pallet and was hot on Ruby's heels. The girl could hear the labored breaths behind her as the specter blinked forward once again, crying out in pain as the bonesaw slashed across her back. She fell, coughing out a little blood as the broken ribs stabbed into her body. The woman seemed to pause for a moment, then grabbed Ruby by the collar and lifted her onto the shoulder. Ruby struggled, but it was rather useless, as she was shoved onto a hook very shortly after being picked up._

 _Just before she left, the woman grabbed Ruby by the face, pulling her covered mouth to Ruby's ear. "Do yourself a favor and die quickly." she said in a hoarse whisper, and then she was gone, leaving Ruby to hang by her shoulder._

* * *

 **One more chapter in the books! This time, it's the Nurse, and she's not happy.**

 **Quick note: I tried the back-and-forth thing for Ruby's life and Pyrrha's game,and I'd love to hear your opinion on it. I feel like doing it too often would be boring or confusing, so I'm probably going to only do it for the first game of every RWBY character pulled in.**

 **Reviews:**

 **HydraLightning: Yeah, I had Pyrrha come in for a couple reasons, but I plan on adding a couple more RWBY characters into the trials in the near future.**

 **Dark Flower: Jesus, man. I'm looking at your review from the site, and it fills the entire page. Jesus, I feel like I need to make a separate chapter to reply to this. To answer your first question, Yes. I do plan on adding in other RWBY characters. Which ones? I have a small list, but that has about five people on it. The rest I'll figure out when I come to that bridge. I do agree that it would make some interesting dynamics (just imagine Feng telling everyone to sandbag Neo and her having no idea what it means) and I hope I'll be able to explore some of those avenues. To answer your second question, no. The Doctor will not be next, despite how much I like him as a killer. I'm probably going to be going in the order they were introduced (at least for the first round of games), so Michael will be next. I think a lot of people tend to forget that most of Halloween II took place entirely in a hospital, but eh. I have some plans for the Huntress, Freddy, Bubba (cuz he's a cannibal), and possibly the Hag. For now though, you'll just have to wait and see.**

 **UltimateKuuga: If you need therapy, the Doctor will see you in six chapters. If you aren't willing to wait that long, you can make an appointment with the Nurse or take it up with our complaint department, either in the previous chapter (Billy) or in two chapters (Michael).**

 **Scourge From BloodClan (all four of your reviews): Thank you for all of your support! Answering the question in your most recent reply, it's going to take a bit of explaining. Basically, as I read it, the Entity can breach our world where violence resulting in murder occurs. Now, the lore says that It can draw in the person who's lost their hope, but I've spun it another way to say that It could put something through that breach, effectively giving It a pawn in our world. However, It requires some energy to keep this breach open AND control their minion, so unless a bunch of people were slaughtered in the same spot (e.g., Mountain Glen), It would need someone else to die within a time limit or lose Its grasp on our world, but it can still use Its minion without the breach.**

 **Guest: Don't worry, Michael will make an appearance after the next chapter. And don't worry, Scratched Mirror Myers is wonderful and Ruby's going to hate it when she can't find what's chasing her until she quite literally runs into him.**

 **AdamTobiasGrayson: Okay, don't use me as an official lore source. As the lore says (or at least based on the survivor's backstories), the people the Entity abducts quite literally goes missing in the woods, either by wandering in or being teleported there (in the case of Quentin, Tapp, and maybe Laurie), and no matter what people try, they can't find the person.**

 **Anyways, the Saw chapter looks amazing, and I know I said I wouldn't be adding anymore people but Amanda looks fun to write (I would've liked John Kramer better, but whatever). Just leave your opinion as a review, IM me, contact me with it, whatever you want to do.**

 **Anyways, I am completely open to suggestions as to things I can change, lineups for each match (who goes in with Ruby, basically), and which killers Ruby should fail to get away from. Remember, I have extended the deadline for the perk poll (which is up on my profile) to March, as I underestimated how long I'd be on making these chapters. I love listening to my fans, and I'd love to hear your feedback!**

 **EDIT: Okay, so I have a couple people shouting at me for a Nurse Mori next chapter, and I have a couple people shouting at me for a Myers Mori in three chapters. I don't want to do back-to-back Moris this early on, so I want you guys to tell me which you'd prefer more. I'd appreciate if you answered sooner rather than later, as I need to know this before I finish writing the next chapter. Thank you all for the support!**

 **That Random Demon, signing off!**


	9. Chapter 8: Or She Will

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

* * *

 _Ruby hung on the hook, satisfied that she had learned something. The first thing that she learned that she had broken three ribs in that fall, her third, fifth, and seventh ribs on her left side. The second thing she learned was that Nea was amazing at hiding and vanishing when she wanted to. The third thing she learned was that the Nurse (despite knowing her real name, Ruby refused to use it) had a little bit of a problem after she blinked and missed her swings, as she would lose all of her breath and double over in pain. The Nurse still was a formidable threat, even with this weakness._

 _Her thoughts were interrupted as Nea walked up slowly, making sure she wasn't being chased as she did. "You need some help?" the punk asked, looking up at Ruby. Ruby grinned, crossing her arms as best she could and looking back at Nea._

" _Nah, I'm rather comfortable up here, with my lung pierced and all. Thanks for asking, though." she said, tapping the spike stuck through her chest. Both of them shared a laugh as Nea pulled Ruby from the hook and patched each other up, then parted ways immediately after. Ruby would have stayed, but didn't want Nea in any more danger than she had to be._

 _Ruby stumbled across the rocky ground, wondering how anyone would be able to walk, much less escape from a murderous psychopath while running across this. She pushed the thoughts from her mind, focusing on the more important task at hand: survival. She had no idea what the tiny key she was holding was for, but she wasn't about to let go of it in case it came in handy._

 _She found herself standing by a large hill, a generator near the base and a hook lodged into the outcroppings of rock close to the top. She ignored the hook, pocketing the key and kneeling down beside the generator to get to work. A distant screech alerted her to the killer's location, and she let herself relax as she realized how far away it was._

 _The slow grinding of rusted gears and old pistons wasn't as harsh on Ruby's ears as she worked, which somewhat surprised her, as she hadn't been here longer than four nights. She twisted wires and pulled bits of metal from between the gears, careful not to get her hands shocked or her fingers cut on the rusted yet sharp metal. She missed the toolbox she had grabbed last time, even though the tools weren't the best and had been well worn._

 _A supernatural groan split the air as the sky opened, and the spider-limbs of the creature reached down to pluck someone off of a distant hook. She didn't know who it was, as they were pulled back through the black void beyond the sky as soon as she focused on them, but she was sure they were male. She sighed, twisting the last wires together and watching the generator roar to life as she stepped away._

 _Ruby checked the horizon, seeing two lights glowing brightly. 'Two left.' Ruby thought, racing off to a dim, flashing light in the distance._

 _She ran for a ways before her foot struck metal, causing her to stop in alarm. She whirled around, spying a large, dark, metal trapdoor sitting in the ground behind her. She'd never seen this before, and even though she'd been told about it, it looked very out of place against the ashen earth. The large metal hinges were terribly damaged, even more so than the generators had been, and a large, metal lock secured the handle to the frame of the trapdoor._

 _Ruby fished out the key from her pocket, looking at it and the hatch. She had the strangest feeling of cold air wash over her as she realized with a shiver that the key fit the lock, as if something was watching her fiddle with the lock. She stood, taking a few steps back and putting the key back into her pocket. No, she wasn't going to abandon everyone else here. Taking one last look at one of her only ways to safety, she turned away, running back into the unknown._

 _She reached the next generator, not wasting any time as she began to work. She became distinctly aware of a heartbeat approaching in a rather sporadic matter, seeming to grow in intensity and then fade to almost nothing within seconds. She looked around, catching glimpses of the ghastly woman as she chased down David between the trees._

 _She left the generator as the Nurse approached, slowly floating forward as she carried David on her shoulder. David was tossed onto a hook as Ruby ducked into a patch of grass, but the Nurse didn't leave, instead looking around as if she heard something. "I can hear you, little girl." the Nurse rasped out, turning around and floating down the hill. "You can't hide from me forever."_

 _Ruby said nothing, instead biting down hard on her lip to prevent a whimper from escaping her lips. The Nurse moved closer, beginning to swat at the tall grass with her free hand in an attempt to find Ruby. The girl began to crawl away from the Nurse, trying not to disturb the grass as she did. The sound of a blade swishing through the air caught her attention, and she looked back to see the specter of a woman slashing at the grass, quivering in poorly restrained rage._

" _You can't hide forever, Ruby!" she said in a more screechy tone, clutching her bonesaw in a tight, angry grip. "I can promise you your suffering will be swift if you reveal yourself now! You only prolong the inevitable!"_

 _Ruby whimpered quietly, a noise that didn't go unnoticed by the Nurse, who whirled around and rushed towards her. Ruby screamed, jumping to her feet and dashing away from her. The huntress-in-training threw herself onto a large rock, rolling away as the bonesaw scratched against the stone. The blow had come very close to her head, and she wasn't about to let it get any closer._

 _The sound of flesh being torn caught Ruby's ear, but she didn't have time to check what it was as the Nurse overshot her next blink, appearing right in front of Ruby. Ruby ducked under the blade, shoving past the Nurse as she heard the air leave the killer's lungs. The girl sprinted off, attempting to move for the tall hospital building in an attempt to lose the Nurse._

 _She sprinted through the main archway, turning the corner and sprinting for one of the pallets. She turned as she got to it, slamming it down immediately as the Nurse appeared in a flash of embers and a blast of warm wind. Ruby didn't stay behind to observe the damage, instead scrambling up the crumbling stairs nearby. She ran back towards the generator in the central atrium, but made a hard left as the Nurse appeared behind her. The bonesaw slashed across her back, causing Ruby to fall through a weak section of the floor._

 _Ruby shot out a hand, catching the decayed concrete at the edge of the newly-created hole. Her momentum stopped, but all of the force sent shooting pain through her shoulder, causing her to let go and land on her feet. She took off, running for a nearby windowsill as the Nurse recovered from her fatigue. She felt the air ripple with heat and force mast her as she leapt, and before she knew it, the blade of the rusted saw connected with Ruby's skull and threw her to the ground._

 _The Nurse towered over Ruby's prone form, wheezing and coughing quietly through her linen pillowcase. "You have nowhere to run, little girl." she whispered, extending an arm and conjuring the glowing spheres within it. Ruby felt herself flipped to face her, and she began to struggle against her invisible bonds as the Nurse closed in._

 _Suddenly, the frail ghost of a woman was on her, hands clutched around the girl's throat in at death grip. Ruby beat against her face and shoulders, but even as she did, she knew she was done for. There was no one close by, she was losing oxygen rather quickly, and even if she did hold her breath, she guessed it wouldn't be long before she let it out again. She stopped struggling, beginning to accept her fate when the hands suddenly left her throat._

" _SQUARE UP, FUCKER!" David shouted as he tackled the Nurse, who was completely caught off guard as the taller man slammed into her. He punched her once across the face before shoving Ruby's shoulder, gaining her attention. "Go for the hatch! I'll buy you some time!" he screamed, struggling against the Nurse, who was trying to force David off of her._

 _Ruby nodded, coughing a few times as she stood up and staggered off. She vaguely remembered where she had seen it last, but after all that happened in the past few minutes, she couldn't be sure. She clutched at her throat as she stumbled, taking deep, loud breaths as she moved. She was sure at least once during her coughing fits she had coughed up blood._

 _She moved for a while, hearing the Nurse's heartbeat distantly as she did. At some point during the walk, her foot kicked metal, causing her to trip and fall onto the hard grass. She looked back, spying the metal trapdoor by her left leg, and immediately her heart filled with hope. She crawled over, fishing the key from her pocket with shaky hands and shoving it into the lock._

 _It fit perfectly. Ruby slid her legs into the hatch, holding it open with her left hand. She looked around, seeing nothing that would prevent her escape, then she slid the rest of her body in as well, letting the trapdoor slam above her._

 _The tunnel she was in was dark, filled with the cold fog that seemed to be everywhere in this place. The ground was wet, but surprisingly, Ruby couldn't feel any imperfections in the stone tunnel that would allow the water to flow in. She crawled forward, as she really had no way to go other than that._

 _She crawled until her arms hurt, taking a turn whenever it was provided and not looking back. The splashing of the water against her body went from uncomfortable to soothing as she moved, and even though she couldn't see anything, she felt safe and hopeful. As she crawled, she began to hear the wind howling through the tunnels._

 _Finally, she turned a corner and saw light. It was faint, but it was enough to keep her tired body moving. She scrambled forward, ignoring the aching in her muscles and the throbbing in her side. The light was closer than she imagined, and before she knew it, it had surrounded her. She stopped moving then. She was tired, so very tired. Maybe she could take a nap here, on the grass under her. It wouldn't take long…_

* * *

Ruby awoke quietly, staring up at the ceiling. She took a moment to clear her mind before she sat up, making sure she was still breathing and had everything attached. She saw Officer Mathews sitting in the corner in his chair, the mug of coffee beside him long empty.

"Sleep well?" he asked, looking at her with a smile. Ruby nodded and rubbed her eyes, noticing the shadows under his eyes from the sleep he'd been missing.

"What time is it?" Ruby spoke through a yawn, stretching her limbs as she adjusted herself on the bed. Mathews pointed to the clock on the wall, where Ruby saw that it was just after five o'clock. She nodded again, blinking tiredly as she looked around the room. As she looked at the door, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and she instantly was fully awake.

A silhouette stood beyond the window, its form dark against the red glow of the EXIT sign down the hall. It stood impossibly still, not even shifting slightly to signify breathing. It stood with its arms by its sides, its hands obscured by the lower part of the door. Even though Ruby wasn't able to see its face, she knew one thing without needing to:

It was staring right into her eyes.

Ruby let out a choked yelp, more terrified of this shape beyond the door than even death itself. Officer Mathews was instantly on his feet, moving for the door. The shape turned, its eyes still locked on Ruby, and walked back into the hall, vanishing within moments. The policeman opened the door, power walking out into the hallway and disappearing from view.

Ruby whimpered, waiting for a few tense moments that seemed like an eternity. She stared out into the dim light of the hall, and for a second before Officer Mathews appeared from the shadows again, she thought she saw a face illuminated by the red glow of the sign. Deep pits replaced the eyes, and the face was thin and emotionless, almost calculating in the most terrifying way.

Ruby's eyes locked onto the officer when he entered the room. "What was it?" Ruby asked as he shut the door, concerned about her safety when she saw him lock the door behind him. He didn't answer her, sitting down and drawing his pistol. He rubbed his eyes, setting the gun down on the armrest of his chair and taking a sip of his energy drink. Finally, after a minute, he spoke.

"I'm not sure if it's just my eyes playing tricks on me, but I swear I saw something. Someone." he said, not turning his eyes towards her. "Standing in the darkness. I tried to chase him, but he just… vanished. As if he wasn't there at all. And when I tried to come back, it felt like there was someone just watching me." As he said this, his hand went up to rub his eyes. Neither of them spoke for a long while.

* * *

He stood within the darkness, standing a ways away from the door. He wasn't moving, instead staring into the room where his target lay, prone and helpless. It wasn't her time to die, though. Not yet, at least.

A raven's caw caught his attention, causing him to shift slightly to find its source. He found it sitting on the ground, by the feet of his most recent victim who was pinned to the wall by the blade of his knife. It cawed again, looking at the body and them appearing to glare at him. He didn't react, not even blinking as he stared at the raven. It sighed, then turned and flew off.

He watched it go, then turned back to the corpse. It was that nurse, the one who was supposed to be watching the halls but instead snuck off to meet up with someone else. He had taken care of that. He took long, fast strides towards it, grabbing the knife and ripping it from the body. The corpse collapsed against the ground as he stared down at the bloody blade, looking it over as he walked into the shadows.

He felt a sensation of moving at a much faster pace, then found himself in the front yard of an abandoned house. The walls were breaking down, the windows were boarded up and shattered, and the door had all but rotted away. Even still, if he was capable of smiling, he might have as the memories flooded back to him.

He was home.

* * *

 **One more chapters in the books! Sorry if this is a little rushed, I just ran out of time to work on it and fresh ideas to use.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Natstateguy: In a couple chapters. Don't you worry, I have something special planned for that one.**

 **InfernoKnightmare: I am normally a bit squeamish when it comes to really violent stuff, but I don't really like how horror movies these days are full of jumpscares and void of good acting and actual terror. I've decided that this is going to have more of the latter, as that's a lot of what I enjoy. I'm glad you like it.**

 **Scourge from Bloodclan: I couldn't do a Nurse mori this chapter, sorry. However, I do love the Nurse, and Ruby will die by her hands at some point in the future.**

 **HydraLightning: Myers is next, yes. I did a little thing at the end of this chapter, as a little bit of a homage to the original Halloween's 'Myers Vision' tactic. I really liked that.**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: I hope to add Yang in at some point, but I have no idea when or with which killer to bring her in with. Hopefully I'll figure out soon.**

 **Guest: Thank you for the feedback!**

 **Anyways, I am completely open to suggestions as to things I can change, lineups for each match (who goes in with Ruby, basically), and which killers Ruby should fail to get away from. Remember, I have extended the deadline for the perk poll (which is up on my profile) to March, as I underestimated how long I'd be on making these chapters. I love listening to my fans, and I'd love to hear your feedback!**


	10. Chapter 9: The Evil Within

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

* * *

The rest of Ruby's long morning was tense. She had woken up before the hospital staff had actually started the morning routine, and despite Officer Mathews' request for access to the security cameras, they weren't being very cooperative. On top of all of this, almost every medical professional in the hospital (or so it seemed) had been in her room at least twice, checking out the various monitors and readings around her. Only about an hour ago had she been allowed to leave that room and head for one of the head doctors' office.

Ruby's already thin patience was being stretched, as the 'restless sleep' had left her very irritated and tired. Her fingers drummed against the chair she sat in, which was a nice improvement to the hospital bed she was nearly murdered in, and she stared at the carpeted floor of the waiting room she'd been sitting in for nearly an hour. She gave a disgruntled sigh, rubbing at her eyes once again in an attempt to keep herself awake.

She looked to her left at the magazine rack on the far wall, then over at the door where the doctor she was supposed to be visiting was, then down the hall towards a window showing a view of the city of Vale. She looked around the hall, making sure no one was there to see her as she walked over to it and looked out.

It really was a gorgeous city, she could say that for sure. Almost every building was colorful, in various shades of blue, green, yellow, and a rainbow of other colors. She looked down to see a small group of her classmates coming into the building for what she guessed was another visit. She smiled as she saw them, joy and hope filling her as she watched.

That feeling disappeared instantly as she began to feel a pins-and-needles feeling across the back of her neck.

It was sudden. One moment, she was happy and cheerful. The next, her breath had caught within her throat as she felt the feeling spreading across her back. Terror filler her heart as her legs became weak, and she fell to the ground, her eyes wide in terror. She turned, breathing heavily as she pressed her back to the wall and curled up into the fetal position. Her eyes swept the hall, looking for anything out of place that could be the source of her inexplicable terror.

She almost missed the figure in the doorway down the hall as her eyes swept across the hallway. He was standing about halfway down the hall, just within an open doorway into an empty room that Ruby couldn't see much of. His clothes consisted of a set of denim overalls with a white shirt underneath, a pair of brown, leather boots, and a white expressionless mask with no eyes showing through the empty eyeholes. Dark brown hair was messily arranged on the top of the masked head, and Ruby wasn't able to tell if it was real or false. In his right hand, a bloodstained kitchen knife with a wooden handle was held within a tight grip, as if he was planning on using it.

Ruby stared into his eyes, terrified of his gaze but unable to look away. Her face was pale in terror as she pressed her entire body against the wall, unable to generate any thoughts other than to run. She couldn't even do that, as her body was frozen in fear from just this man staring down at her like a predator stalking his prey.

He cocked his head to the side, looking her over for a moment. Ruby opened her mouth and stammered for a moment, trying to force herself to speak. "Wh- I- You- Wh-what d-d-do you w-want?" Ruby forced out, her voice sounding more timid and small than she wanted it to.

The man stared for a moment longer, then stepped back into the darkness of the room, the shadows hiding him from Ruby's eyes. She found herself able to move again, and she sucked in a huge breath that she had been holding as she fell onto her hands and knees. She pushed herself to her feet, the only thought on her mind was to run.

She started down the hall, but had to catch herself on the wall to keep her legs from giving out in fear. She slowly rested her weight against the wall as she moved, eyes focused on the bend in the hallway about ten yards away. She pushed herself off the wall, using the armrests of the chairs against the wall to help keep herself standing as her leg strength came back to her. 'Just a few more steps,' Ruby thought to herself. 'Just a few more steps and you can start running.'

She didn't notice the office door open until it was too late to stop.

The door smacked her in the forehead, causing her to let out a grunt of pain and surprise. She didn't even try to stop herself as her legs gave out, just letting herself fall to the ground in a tired heap. Her fear was forgotten as the doctor rushed to her side to help her up, replaced by a sense of security and warmth as he lifted her to her feet.

"Hey, Miss Rose, are you alright?" he asked hurriedly, making sure she hadn't been harmed. "I apologize, I wasn't watching out for you."

Ruby heard herself say something, but through the pain in her head, what she said was lost to her. She shook her head, regaining her senses and looking back at the doctor. "I'm fine, doctor." she said, steadying herself against the wall. After a moment, she turned to the doctor with a smile. "You have a mean right arm, though, I'll give you that."

With a laugh, the doctor lead her into his office, closing the door behind them.

* * *

Ruby opened the door to the hospital lobby, wearing a Beacon Academy uniform that her friends had left with her stuff two days prior and holding the official discharge papers in her left hand. She let out a happy sigh as she saw a small collection of her classmates sitting in a scattered formation across the small space, watching as they all turned to look at her with smiles on their faces. It had been over an hour since she saw them come in, and she was sure that they were all aching to get back to their dorms.

Ruby's thoughts were interrupted as a blur of pink, orange, and blue slammed into her side, knocking her to the ground. Ruby screamed, beginning to panic as she reacted instinctively to the grapple. A pair of arms wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her sides and restricting her movement. Ruby had the wind knocked out of her as the previously-blurred figure hefted Ruby up from the ground in a tight bear hug.

"Wh- Nora!" Weiss called, rushing to the two and separating them. Nora grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head as Ruby doubled over and began to regain her breath.

"Whoops! Sorry! Just got a little excited there!" the hammer-wielder said, giggling to herself a little before a serious look crossed her face. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Ruby drew in a sharp breath, shaking her head before she broke out into a coughing fit. When she was finally able to speak again, it came out in a hoarse whisper. "Just… don't do it again, alright?" she rasped, putting a hand to her bandaged side to see if the wound had reopened.

The rest of her classmates surrounded her, patting her on the back and helping her onto her feet. She smiled up at them, putting a hand to her heart as a sign of appreciation instead of using her recovering lungs to speak. They understood, helping her through the exit and out into the autumn day beyond. Ruby stopped for a second, taking in a breath of fresh air, glad to be finally free from that cramped hospital room.

"Uh… Are you alright, Ruby?" Blake asked from behind her, breaking her from her thoughts.

Ruby turned, looking over at Blake with somewhat of a bashful smile. "Sorry." she said with a little laugh. "I just… didn't like how cramped that tiny room made me feel."

Blake nodded, understanding how she felt and walking along with the rest of the group. Ruby was about to follow, turning and moving forward, though she slammed into someone she hadn't seen there before. She staggered backwards, feeling like she'd just walked into a brick wall and rubbing where her face impacted into the man who was now beside her, walking quickly away.

"Hey! Aren't you going to apolog-" Ruby stopped mid-sentence, unable to continue as she realized that she had seen that man before. Just an hour earlier, in fact.

The masked figure was moving at a medium pace, though the distance he was covering was far greater than his pace would suggest. Just moments after Ruby turned to look at him, he had ducked into the crowded street and vanished. Ruby caught the faintest glimpse of a wooden knife grip sticking out of his pocket before she lost sight of him, but that alone sent her into a state of subdued panic.

"Ruby! Hey Ruby!" a voice called from behind her, snapping her into attention. Ruby turned and began to walk quickly in the opposite direction, ignoring the questioning glances of the people around her. She heard someone say her name again, but she didn't answer. The voice came again, and without thinking, a reply came out of her mouth.

"We need to leave. We're not safe here." Ruby said in a sharp, very snappy tone. The sudden outburst was enough to shock Ruby's friends, but Ruby didn't care enough at that moment to apologize. She wasn't safe. That man was toying with her, she knew it.

A hand on Ruby's shoulder was enough to catch her attention. The hand belonged to Pyrrha, who had a questioning and worried look in her eyes. "Ruby-" she started, but the younger girl shrugged her hand off of her shoulder and interrupted her.

"Pyrrha. We. Are. Not. Safe." she said, before continuing onwards. "We can't stay out here. I- We need to get back to Beacon. We'll be safe there." With that said, she turned away, lips pressed into a tight line as she strode away from her worried friends.

* * *

Ruby had almost immediately headed for the shooting range once she returned to Beacon, ignoring her friends protesting. She just wanted some time alone, preferably with her beautiful Crescent Rose in her hands and a target to shoot at. Safety and peace would come to her then, she was sure.

At the moment, the aforementioned weapon was slung across her back as she fiddled with the ammunition dispenser nearby, sliding in a few Lien cards and tapping her foot as she waited. The machine hummed, clicked a few times, then dispensed six magazines of rifle ammunition for her to use. She picked them up, sliding one into Crescent Rose and loading a round into the chamber, satisfied as she heard it click into place. She pocketed the other five, then walked over to the nearby booth and selected her difficulty.

She raised Crescent Rose as the first drone flew into view, pulling the trigger and watching it drop to the ground. She loaded in another round and looked through her scope, landing a hit on the next drone that happened to appear and watching it fall as well. She kept this up for a while, a smile forming on her face as she got back into the rhythm of using the weapon. This was comfortable to her, having a weapon in her hand and knowing that if anyone tried to hurt her, she would be able to fend them off.

She finished off her last magazine as she pierced through the wing of the final drone on the field, resting Crescent Rose against her shoulder as she smiled at her handiwork. She still had it. No thoughts of masked murderers, rusted meathooks, or ancient spider-beasts had crossed her mind since she had fired her first shot, only the thrill of doing something she finally enjoyed as the cleanup bots came to remove the broken drones from across the ground.

As the adrenaline and thrill left her system, though, she became aware of a distinct sound behind her: slow, congratulatory clapping.

Standing some distance behind Ruby, leaning against the wall, was another student. She wore a Haven Academy school uniform, though she had the jacket unbuttoned, revealing a white shirt underneath. Her black hair fell down in front of her face, obscuring one amber eye, though Ruby could tell the girl was staring at her and had been doing so for some time. Around her waist hung a quiver of arrows on a loose strap, the bow itself folded up within the quiver. A smile was visible on her face, even as Ruby looked at her in confusion.

"Not bad." she said, pushing herself off of the wall and closing the distance between the two girls. "Not the best, mind you, but not bad." She extended a hand towards Ruby, offering a less-than-friendly smile. "Cinder Fall. I believe we've ran into each other before." she added, brushing the hair out of her left eye.

Ruby apprehensively took Cinder's hand, shaking it gingerly before stepping back. "I-I don't recognize you. Where did we run into each other?" she asked, her voice a little quieter than normal.

Cinder smiled, chuckling under her breath as she shook the girl's hand. "It was a few weeks before the dance. You ran into me in the hall while going to the library." she said, leaning against the edge of the booth and looking down at her nails. Something about this woman was making Ruby feel suspicious, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Oh, that was you?" Ruby said, a little alarmed. "Well, sorry I didn't recognize you. I'm not that good with people." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, wincing as she rubbed over the sore spot where the Nurse had wrapped her fingers the day prior.

Cinder seemed not to notice, instead looking down at the rifle tucked under Ruby's arm. "You seem like the type for competition. How about a little shooting match?" the amber-eyed girl inquired, gesturing to the quiver at her side. Ruby's eyes widened, a smile crossing her face again as she nodded excitedly. With that little agreement done, the two made their way over to the ammunition dispenser for a few rounds worth of shooting.

Ruby had to admit, Cinder was a great shot with her bow. The older woman seemed confident and accurate enough not to even draw back the bowstring fully in order to hit a target, and very rarely did her arrows miss. Ruby was sure that at a few points during the match, she had used a bit of Dust or some of her Semblance to make her arrow detonate against one of the drones, causing shrapnel to pierce a few others (Cinder denied Ruby's claims of this though).

Time flew by, nearly an hour passing as the two shot down drone after drone without breaking a sweat. Reloading Crescent Rose became a minor distraction for Ruby, though it didn't slow her shots at all. The two kept bumping up the difficulty on the drones, and each time, every one of them would fall by either a bullet or a well -aimed arrow. Ruby had even tried to shoot a few of Cinder's arrows out of the air to boost her own numbers (Ruby denied doing anything of the sort when Cinder brought it up to her). Finally, just as the hour hand had officially marked that one hour had passed, Ruby heard Cinder's bow hit the ground.

"What's the matter? Are you forgetting?" Ruby called, sounding a little cocky at the thought of her winning. After no reply but a gasping breath echoed from Cinder's booth, Ruby's smile fell away, a look of worry replacing it. She stepped out of her booth, checking the magazine currently in Crescent Rose out of instinct. Four shots left, in case she needed stepped slowly towards Cinder's booth as she heard the gasping breath begin to sound weaker, placing the stock of the rifle against her shoulder in case she needed to shoot. She quickly turned the corner, gasping at what she saw.

That man from earlier had Cinder pinned against the wall with one hand around her throat, the other clutching a large kitchen knife aimed at the woman. Cinder herself was gripping the blade with one hand and the arm holding the knife with her other, fear the only emotion visible in her eyes. The man's mask had a little blood sprayed across the front, and a nasty wound in Cinder's shoulder allowed Ruby to figure out where it came from. Ruby's instincts kicked in, raising the scope to her eye as the rifle shook in her hands.

Her first shot missed entirely, shooting through the space between Cinder's arms and the man's. It was enough to gain his attention, however, as the soulless darkness where his eyes should have been turned from Cinder to Ruby. It didn't have as much of an effect as it had earlier that day, as all Ruby did was pull back the bolt and fire again.

Her second shot hit him in the shoulder of his strangling arm, causing him to drop Cinder to the ground and plant his feet to steady himself. The wound stained his blue overalls a dark color, making it evident that the bullet drew blood. Ruby loaded another round into the chamber and fired a third time, striking him in the chest and drawing more blood. This wound didn't faze him as much, however, as he shook his head and lunged towards Ruby with his knife. Ruby only had a split second to react, and she did so by quickly drawing back the bolt and shooting at his head.

The shot landed, stopping all of his forward momentum. He seemed jarred for a moment, taking a step backwards before his body seized up, causing him to fall onto his back. Blood began to pour from the wound, staining the white mask a deep red. His body jerked once more, and then he went limp. Ruby slung the rifle across her back and darted past him towards where Cinder lay.

"Cinder!" Ruby shouted, lifting the girl into a sitting position and checking her pulse. She was still alive and breathing, but she was bleeding badly from her shoulder, and Ruby knew that Cinder's Aura couldn't heal that kind of wound in a reasonable amount of time. Thinking quickly, Ruby ripped a length of her jacket sleeve off, making a makeshift tourniquet out of that and the shaft of one of Cinder's arrows. Cinder winced, looking up at Ruby with half-open eyes.

"I-is… i-is he still here?" the amber-eyed woman asked with a hoarse voice.

Ruby looked over at the still body, then shook her head. "I shot him in the forehead, and he went limp. I'm sure he'll be out for a while." she said, tying off the cloth and helping Cinder to her feet.

Cinder winced as her shoulder shifted, smiling a thin-lipped smile as Ruby helped her up. "Y-you're a n-nice person, y-you know?" she rasped out into Ruby's ear. Ruby smiled a sad smile and nodded, taking slow, labored steps towards the door. She wasn't strong enough for this, but it wouldn't take long before she wouldn't have to carry Cinder anymore.

As the two passed by the man laying on the ground, neither of them noticed his hand tighten around the handle of his knife until he was already in motion.

With one quick, fluid motion, he twisted over and stabbed the blade deep into Cinder's leg. Cinder cried out, letting go of Ruby and collapsing to the ground. He wasted no time as she drew a second, slightly smaller blade from his pocket and lunged towards Ruby, who was left defenseless as Cinder's fall had torn Crescent Rose from her back. Ruby grabbed his hands and resisted with all of her might, stopping the knife inches from her throat. He pressed harder, and it was all Ruby could do to hold back his powerful stab. Her hands shook from the pressure being exerted upon them, but they held firm.

Cinder grunted in pain as she ripped the knife from her calf, turning towards Ruby and stabbing the man in the back. He roared in pain, falling on top of Ruby and throwing his weight onto the knife. She screamed as well, the knife passing straight through her Aura and piercing deep into her shoulder. The man rolled off of her, standing up and pulling the knife from his back.

He breathed heavily, staring at the two huntresses-in-training with an unreadable look. He took a step back, standing up fully and staggering from the room. The two let out deep sighs, collapsing to their knees as the adrenaline wore off. Ruby pulled out her scroll, opening the device and sending out a call to the emergency campus hotline.

"Hello, Ms. Rose. This is Beacon Emergency Services. What is your emergency?" A chipper voice said from the other end.

Ruby took a deep breath, her hands shaking as she fought exhaustion and blood loss. "Shooting range… h-hurry…" she said with the last of her strength, collapsing to the ground moments later.

"Miss Rose? Miss Rose! What's going on? Stay on the line!" the voice called in vain, as Ruby had slipped into the dark confines of unconsciousness moments before.

* * *

Ozpin sat at his desk, rubbing his thumb on the edge of the blade that had been recovered from the shooting range. He had taken it from Cinder as she was escorted to the medical wing along with Ruby, and had held onto it in case he could glean any information as to who it belonged to. He had promised to give it back by the end of the day, but now, after his discovery, he wasn't so sure he would honor that promise.

His thoughts were interrupted as the elevator at the far end of the room dinged, the doors sliding open to reveal an angry General Ironwood. The general strode into the room, fists clenched as he stared at Ozpin, who's eyes hadn't moved in the slightest. "Oz, what the hell happened and why did I only j-" he started, only to be cut off by a question from Ozpin.

"What do you think happens when you die, James?" the headmaster of Beacon Academy asked in an inquisitive tone. The nature of the question caught Ironwood off guard, causing his eyes to widen and his movement to halt.

"I-I'm sorry?" he asked, puzzled by the suddenness of the question. Ozpin looked over at him, standing up and setting the knife down.

"What do you believe happens after you leave this mortal world, James?" he asked again, turning to face the window overlooking Beacon Academy. "Do you think we simply cease to exist? Are we reincarnated into a new body? Or are our lives judged and our fates afterwards determined by the ruling?"

Ironwood took a second to think, pondering the question as he had many times before. "I'm not sure." he admitted after a brief moment, turning his head away. "I do believe in an afterlife, where we can meet with all of the family we have lost, but I don't feel like we all get the chance at eternal paradise. At least, not everyone lives happy forever."

Ozpin nodded, accepting his response as he looked down at the courtyard. "Hmm." he said in a low tone. "Well, thank you for the input, General."

Ironwood nodded, then hesitantly approached his old friend. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you ask me? And why now?" he asked, not looking at Ozpin as he spoke.

Ozpin didn't answer for a while, instead staring down at the students in the courtyard. He envied them somewhat. They were free, innocent to the horrors of man, Grimm, and other, more dangerous beings. He couldn't remember when his existence had been that innocent, before his curse and before Salem. Before… It had shown Itself to him.

"I ask because I fear that we are being threatened." he said. "The recent string of attacks, the dangerous amounts of Grimm amassing at our borders, the disappearances, I feel that it is somehow connected."

Ironwood looked at him, confused. "Salem? She has the connections and power to do these things, but why would she do something so prolonged?" he asked, feeling a little uninformed about the situation.

"No, James." Ozpin said, turning to face him. "I feel as though an ancient eye has settled upon us. I feel as though I know what is behind these things, but I seriously hope I am wrong. Otherwise…" he trailed off, letting the implications do the talking for him.

Ironwood turned to face him. "What can we do to stop this? What can I do?" he asked, a little scared though not showing it.

"Tell your men to patrol more often. Never let any of them travel alone. Tell them to bring in any suspicious looking persons into custody. We must make sure I am wrong about this." Ozpin said, turning and walking to his desk. "Keep an eye on Ruby Rose. As far as I know, she's the only common thread between these incidents." Ironwood nodded as Ozpin sat down, the general moving for the elevator and pressing the button to go down.

"As for what you can do, James?" Ozpin called from behind him as the elevator doors opened. "Pray to whatever you believe in that I am not right in my assumption."

James had no time to reply, as the elevator doors closed before him to send him to the basement level. Ozpin sat back, looking back towards the knife on his desk. He extended a finger, welling up a small amount of his Aura on the tip of his finger and pressing down on the edge.

The blade began to hiss, orange markings appearing on its side in a language Ozpin could not begin to understand. His green Aura crackled and burned, small amounts of it burning away into a thick, ember-filled fog that trailed off like cigar smoke. Ozpin felt a sharp burning in his finger, and he pulled away, the blade returning to its previous state.

Ozpin looked at the finger he touched the blade with, noting that it had been blackened and scorched by the fog that had come from his Aura. A small symbol was etched into the burned skin, resembling the talons of a spider as they trailed from under his fingernail. He rubbed the finger against his desk, then took the knife and slid it into his desk drawer.

* * *

 _Ruby awoke in a panic, scrambling to her feet and darting away from the edge of the forest. Her shoulder burned with pain where the man had stabbed her, and her arm felt numb beyond the wound. She threw herself next to the fire, twisting around to scan the treeline for signs of movement. When she didn't see any, she let out a sigh of relief and slumped back against a log._

 _Needless to say, she nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand rested on her shoulder._

 _The hand belonged to Laurie, the blonde girl who never seemed that engaged when she was at the fire. Ruby briefly wondered why she was over here, but pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind as she snapped out of her panic. "Laurie?" she asked, confused. "Why are you here? I thought-"_

" _Shhh," she shushed Ruby, rubbing a hand across the younger girl's shoulders. "Just calm down, then we can talk."_

 _Ruby closed her mouth, letting her nerves relax as Laurie rubbed her shoulders. She stared out at the edge of the clearing, watching as the fog parted to allow Jake Park to step into the firelight. He was just as she'd seen him when she first sat at the campfire: dark green hoodie, tan cargo pants, brown hiking boots, and a bird's nest of black hair on his head. He nodded to the two of them, stepping over to a log a few yards away and discarding his toolbox before sitting down._

 _Ruby looked up to Laurie, looking directly into the other girl's eyes. "Does it get any easier?" she said, blinking as she leaned up against Laurie's leg. Laurie sighed and looked away, but Ruby caught the look of sadness and pity in her eyes. The blonde's hand came to rest by the right-hand pocket of her jeans, pressing against something contained within._

" _No, not really." She said finally, letting out a pained sigh. "It doesn't really get any easier. You just learn how to live with it. The trials may not get easier, but you get used to the cycle. Others come, leave their mark, then they're gone. It's hard to live with, but you learn to bear it as time passes."_

 _Ruby looked away, her lip quivering slightly as sadness filled her. She looked down, blinking the tears out of her eyes as she stared at the ground. She had hoped that it would get easier as time passed, but hearing this broke her heart. She couldn't imagine ever getting used to a torment such as this, much less learning to live with the pain._

" _But," Laurie said, pulling Ruby from her thoughts. "We have our ways to tip the balance." With that, she reached into her pocket, pulling out a shard of rusted metal secured to the handle of a screwdriver by a length of twine and cloth. It was a crude knife, but it was the closest thing to a weapon she had seen in this place. "This is the thing we use to break out of the killer's grasp. It's not much, and it normally breaks after one use, but it gets the job done." Laurie said, putting it in Ruby's hands._

 _Ruby didn't have a moment to say anything, as the signature smell of burning flesh filled the air, signifying that a trial was starting soon. Ruby pocketed the weapon, grabbing a toolbox from the ground nearby and preparing herself for the cold fog to engulf her. Jake picked up the toolbox he had dropped earlier, stuffing a hacksaw into it and closing the lid. Laurie picked up a flashlight, checking the battery and flicking the light on and off a couple times._

 _The fog rolled in, and with it, a new sense of hopeful dread filled Ruby. Before she knew it, the fog had surrounded her, and all of her surroundings faded into darkness._

* * *

 _Ruby woke up in a house. It wasn't a thrown-together shack like most of the other buildings she'd seen in this place, but it wasn't in much better shape. The wallpaper was torn, showing rotting wood and barely-holding plaster, and the floorboards seemed less stable than they looked. Nevertheless, Ruby decided that she was safer in here than out in the open._

 _She climbed the nearby stairs, taking note of the furniture in the room behind her. She reached the top, finding a generator tucked into what may have been a child's room at one point, though all color seemed to be stripped from the walls and floor. Not thinking about what that could mean about what happened here, Ruby kneeled down by the generator to repair it._

 _She worked in relative silence for the majority of the generator. No heartbeats, no footsteps, no screaming, none of the sounds she'd associated with the trials. It concerned her, as the silence had never lasted for this long. Nevertheless, she continued to twist wires together and tighten bolts, ignorant of the dangers lurking in the night._

 _By the time Ruby was within the homestretch of completing the generator, she had begun to grow worried. She stopped fixing the generator, stepping out of the child's room and moving to a nearby window. She peered out, her eyes sweeping across the neighborhood before her. It was like a ghost town, cars abandoned along the streets and dilapidated houses left to rot._

 _Suddenly, a pins-and-needles feeling spread across Ruby's body, chilling her to her bones. Her eyes darted around, but by then, it was too late. The heartbeat began to thunder in her ears, springing to life from nowhere and sending Ruby into a state of panic. She backed up, spying the signature white mask of that man for a split-second before her back hit the wall. The intensity of the heartbeat grew, and with it came Ruby's terror._

 _Without thinking, she sprinted into a back room, hiding in the darkest corner of the closet that she could find. She bit down hard on her lip to stifle her terrified whimpers, curling up into the fetal position and staring through the slats in the closet door. She watched as the heartbeat reached a fevered pitch, the masked man slowly walking through the room and looking for her._

 _He walked past the bed, kneeling down and peeking underneath it. He then stood up, walked over to the window and stuck his head out. Ruby watched with bated breath, making sure to not reveal herself as he turned to look at the closet she was sitting in. He stared for a moment, then turned and vanished from view. Ruby listened as the heartbeat vanished from earshot, making sure it was gone before she stepped out. Ruby wiped her brow with her sleeve, letting out a loud whimper as she began to calm down from the terror she was experiencing._

 _She was so caught up in what she was doing that she failed to notice the knife plunging towards her._

* * *

 **Holy shit guys, I'm so sorry that I didn't get to update this last week. I had work to do, and by the time Friday came around, I was off to a tabletop gaming conference for the weekend (which has left me in a D &D-themed mood). I promise that if I can manage it, the next chapter will come out next Friday.**

 **Reviews:**

 **InfernoKnightmare: Thank you for your feedback! That raven was not, in fact, a normal raven. Expect to see many more of them in future chapters. And good luck isn't going to save her from a knife blade, let me tell you.**

 **Raze Olympus: What tipped you off?**

 **JosephAllan32: I was going to include Laurie regardless, but I had to give Jake at least a little time in the story. Not sure about Claudette yet, though.**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: Thank you for your feedback! Although, do you mind telling your masked friend to leave? He's kind of creeping me out.**

 **Jadesofwinter: I will be including them. They are rather difficult to personify, but I think I can make it work.**

 **HydraLightning: I would debate if she's actually a warrior or not yet, but I believe she has more pressing things to worry about right now. Also, about Jason, I would love to see it happen, but I honestly would like to see some more original characters in the game before BHVR adds in more licensed characters. Just my opinion, though.**

 **So, as the poll has been closed as of the posting of this chapter, the third unique perk for Ruby has been decided. As 40% of the people voted on it, the third perk is…**

 _ **Show Your Thorns:**_ _A combination of frenzied strikes and your small frame makes keeping a grip on you difficult. The time it takes to escape the killer's grasp is reduced by 3/6/9 %, and the effects of your struggling on the Killer is increased by 25/50/75 %._

 **Anyways, I am completely open to suggestions as to things I can change, lineups for each match (who goes in with Ruby, basically), and which killers Ruby should fail to get away from. The poll is closed, but I would love to make a couple more for you all to vote on in the future. I love listening to my fans, and I'd love to hear your feedback!**

 **That Random Demon, signing off!**


	11. Chapter 10: Save The Best For Last

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

* * *

 _Ruby struggled against the Shape's grip, using her elbows and knees to bash his face and neck. Despite her efforts, it did little to slow him down as he approached the hook and tossed her onto it. The pain stung her, causing her to scream out and grab at the hook sticking through her shoulder and lung. She watched him stare for a moment, then turn and walk off towards the generator nearby._

 _She hung there, looking around to see if anyone was coming to save her. When she determined that no one was within sight, she sighed, letting her shoulders sag and drooping her head. She heard the rusty metal creak and felt the hook shift slightly. Looking up, she noticed that the hook wasn't completely secure, and that her movements could shift the post it was hanging on. She reached up and tried to pull it loose, but found that it wouldn't budge from her strength. As she looked at the hook's post, an idea began to form in her mind._

 _She twisted her body, causing herself to swing forward a little ways. As she swung back, she pushed off off the back of the post with her foot, causing herself to swing faster forward. She reached up, grabbing the hook and pulling hard on the hook. It didn't budge, but she did manage to shift herself a little on the hook. She repeated this process again and again, pushing off of the back of the hook's post and struggling against the hook as she swung forward._

 _Finally, she gave it one last push, pushing the hook as far as it could go. She swung her entire body forward, pulling on the hook as she did so. The hook shook, made a noise similar to splintering wood, and then swung back into place, Ruby no longer attached._

 _Ruby had a sensation similar to being tossed through the air, a hard impact as she hit the ground, and then pain as her entire body reeled from the impact. Adrenaline flowed through her veins as she stood up and shook off the pain, and as she heard the Shape's heartbeat approach, she took off towards another house._

 _Throwing herself through an open window, she scrambled up the stairs, hoping for a locker or something to hide in. Unfortunately, she only found a generator and a few more windows to leap through. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she turned and leaped through a window that lead out to the street._

 _She wasn't in as much pain as she thought she'd be as she hit the roof covering the porch and rolled, catching the edge of the roof with her hand to stop herself from falling. Her momentum caused herself to shift slightly against the shingles, and her heart skipped a beat as she almost slipped off the side. She heard a wooden creak and turned to see the Shape stepping through the window behind her. She screamed, her hand slipping and causing herself to slide further off the roof. Her body fell off, but her other hand shot out to grab the edge of the roof and stop her fall._

 _The Shape crossed over to her, and he stomped down at her hand. She tried to move it out of the way, but her fingers slipped off of the roof, causing her to fall to the ground below. She hit hard, bruising her back and shoulder as she hit the ground and causing her to roll towards the street. She forced herself to the feet, sprinting across the street as the Shape jumped down from the roof behind her. She darted past the car halfway out of the garage, darting out the back of the garage and diving into the bushes by the back porch. She bit down on her lip, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle her whimpers._

 _The Shape showed up moments later, emerging through the back door and stopping at the stairs. He looked around the fenced in backyard, rubbing the flat of the knife with his thumb as he slowly marched down the stairs. The soles of his shoes were thick, but made little sound as he walked across the grass and began to search for her._

 _He thrust his hand into the hedge at the back of the small area, shaking ot around in an attempt to locate her. When she didn't show herself, he whirled around and marched towards the small collection of barrels by the garage. Ruby watched as he kicked past each of them, knocking a few of them over before he moved for the doghouse by the far left corner of the small backyard. He used his hands to search around it with surprising speed and control, considering he grabbed a knife in his right hand._

 _After he finished searching the area by the doghouse, he let out a sound that was similar to a growl of frustration, but was almost no different than the heavy breathing that normally came from within his mask. He straightened up, turning and walking towards the garage before suddenly stopping and tightening the grip on his knife. Ruby's body prepared to leap to her feet and bolt as soon as he stopped, pure terror filling her entire body._

 _He slowly turned his head towards her hiding spot, his shadow-covered eyes analyzing the bushes like a predator stalking its prey. Ruby didn't move as he did this, biting down on her bottom lip so hard that she tasted blood and covering her mouth with both hands. He took one step forward, then two, then three. With each step, Ruby's mind screamed at her to get out of there as fast as she could and to run as far as she could, but no matter what she was thinking, she couldn't move her body an inch. The Shape raised his knife slowly upwards, moving slowly and with precision. He was almost to her, about to strike-_

 _A loud explosion erupted from the second story window right above them, causing both Ruby and the Shape to look up. Smoke and sparks flew through that window, and a string of flavorful curses followed shortly after. Ruby used the momentary distraction to dart away from the Shape as he rushed up the steps to the back porch, intent clear as he clutched the knife within his hand._

 _Ruby didn't stop running until she reached a large brick wall that seemed to stretch infinitely in both directions. She made sure that she was alone before taking a moment to catch her breath, leaning against the wall and giving her muscles a moment to relax. She sighed heavily, pushing off of the wall and slowly walking along it after a minute._

 _She caught sight of another house after only a few seconds of walking, this one looking just as dilapidated and run-down as all of the others. She approached the back porch carefully, looking through the doorway and windows before walking in. She did a quick survey of the house, making sure she was the only living thing in the house before kneeling down to work on the generator tucked next to the stairs._

 _During the time it took for her to work on the generator, she heard the telltale thunderous boom that sounded whenever someone was sacrificed. She tightened her lips, her heart beginning to ache as she realized she could have saved them. A few stray tears rolled down her cheeks, but she wiped them away with her sleeve as she closed her eyes. There would be time to mourn later. Right now, she needed to get out of here._

 _The distant roar of a generator starting up sounded as Ruby finished hers, the feeling of relief she felt amplified by the hope spreading through her being. 'Only one generator to go,' she thought as she raced through the front door, stopping briefly to watch as another person was pulled from the hook and out of the trial by the Entity. She kicked herself mentally, realizing that with only two survivors left, getting this last generator finished would be harder._

 _She scanned the neighborhood, spotting the blinking light of a partially repaired generator not far from her. She took off towards it, making sure to avoid being on the street for too long, as the flashing red and blue lights could easily give her away. The toolbox clutched close to her side made minimal noise as she ran, and she thanked the gods that the Shape was nowhere near. She kneeled down next to the generator once she reached it, taking a moment to survey the progress had been made._

 _Even though it had been damaged, it was still in pretty good shape. Whoever had been working on it before her had been chased off just a few seconds before finishing up. Ruby knelt down beside the generator, cracking open her toolbox one more to finish this up._

 _She finished soon after she started, standing up with a triumphant cheer as the exit gates received power and lit up. She ran back down the street, coming to the large metal gate at the end of the road and grabbing the lever that opened the gate and pulling down. The rusted hinges squealed in protest, refusing to budge, so Ruby grabbed it with both hands and pulled down as hard as she could. With a grinding sound, the lever slowly gave way, coming down to rest at the bottom of the panel it was on. She had heard from other survivors that it took about 20 seconds for the gate to receive power, so she had to sit there and hold down the switch the whole time._

 _The sound of a faint heartbeat caught her ears, causing her to turn her head to its source. Distantly, she saw Laurie ducking through the hedges and leaping over the fences, presumably running from the Shape. Ruby turned back as the first red light above her lit up, showing that she was about 25 percent done with opening the gate._

 _A choked scream echoed through the air as Laurie was struck in the back with a kitchen knife, its wielder grabbing her by the collar and lifting her up. Ruby watched as he disappeared inside one of the houses, then cringed as she heard a scream echo up from the basement level. Another alarm sounded behind her, her heart racing even faster as she watched him cimb through one of the smashed windows._

 _A third alarm sounded, all three lights active at this point. "Come on! Open faster!" she screamed at the exit gates as he approached. With each second, he grew closer, and with each step he took, the exit gate grew closer to opening. 'Five seconds left,' she thought to herself, grabbing onto the crude shiv in her pocket in case she needed it. With a shriek of rusted metal, the exit gate slid open. Ruby's heart filled with hope as she took off for the field beyond, the Shape hot on her tail. She knew she didn't have much time before he caught her, but she was fast approaching the freedom of the campfire, and that only fueled her resolve._

 _Unfortunately, she would never make it._

 _The Shape flipped the knife into a backhanded grip with the blade facing himself, lunging for her as he raised the blade. She screamed, attempting to duck under the blade but realizing too late what he was trying to do. The blade jammed into the front of her shoulder, stopping all of her momentum as she screamed in pain and defeat. She fell backwards, smacking her head hard on the concrete ground as the Shape recovered from the strain he put himself under with that stunt. Ruby blinked a few times, watching as he stood over her, reaching into his pocket to retrieve something. Ruby was confused as to why he didn't sacrifice her then and there, because he had her trapped and vulnerable._

 _Then she saw the ravens landing nearby._

 _There were hundreds of them, all landing on the ground around them, on stray bricks, or on metal rebars sticking out from the frame of the gate. All of their dark, beady eyes seemed to be focused on the Shape, who stood with something in his hand. What the thing was, Ruby couldn't tell, but the ravens seemed to be interested in it._

 _One of the biggest ravens flapped down onto a section of shattered wall that was about eye level with him. It looked at the thing in his hand, looked up at him, and then down at her. He followed its gaze, then looked back at the raven and cocked his head to one side. The raven looked back at the thing in his hand, then up at him, letting out a low call before flapping up to the higher walls to watch. The Shape let the thing hang from his hand, and Ruby got a good look at it before it dissolved into thick, grey fog._

 _It was a cypress wood medallion, hanging from a thin copper chain attached to it by an iron loop emerging from the top. The medallion itself was carved into the shape of a human head, though on the left side, the face appeared to be missing all of its flesh. The face itself was twisted into an expression of discomfort and pain, some of the expression transferring over to the skull side as well. The medallion crumbled into ash, chain and all, and was scattered away into the mist-covered fields beyond._

 _Ruby shrieked in surprise when she was grabbed by the throat in a vice-like grip, thrashing against the hand as she was lifted into the air. The Shape plunged the tip of his knife into her ribs, stabbing through flesh and bone easily. Ruby dropped the shiv as she spat up blood, some of it spraying across the Shape's mask in a thin splatter. She raised her right arm, swinging it into his face in an attempt to loosen his grip on her throat._

 _Her struggling only seemed to fuel his rage, as the grip around her throat tightened. Before she could strike again, he plunged the blade all the way through her body, spearing through her spine in the process. Immediately, Ruby lost control of her legs, and as they hung limply beneath her, she felt death beginning to take her. The Shape tossed her limp body to the ground and walked away, leaving her body to lie in a pool of her own blood. As soon as he left her sight, her vision went dark, the last thing she saw being all of the ravens turning to face her._

* * *

Ruby woke up in the medical wing of Beacon Academy to a strange sense of calmness filling her. She tried to move, but none of her limbs worked. She began to feel panicked, but then she was calm again. 'It's just sleep paralysis,' Ruby told herself. 'You're fine.' As she calmed down, the strange sense of calmness overtook her once more, suppressing all her other emotions.

By the time Ruby figured out that she was not fine, it was too late.

Sharp spears of boiling pain shot through her body as her proportions began to contort, going from young female to tall male in a slow and agonizing way. The Beacon Academy uniform began to tear, but then shifted into a set of blue overalls and large shoes of a size her new body could wear. A white, emotionless mask formed over her face, and that's when it hit her.

It wasn't calmness she had been feeling. It was emptiness.

With that thought, her soul was ejected from her body, allowing the Shape to rise from the bed Ruby had been laying on moments before. He flexed his right hand, and his knife formed within it, gleaming despite the dim light. With that, he stood, striding out of the medical wing and toward the Haven Academy dorms, and Ruby had no choice but to follow.

* * *

Cinder Fall woke to the strange sensation of something small and bone textured swinging into her nose repeatedly. She grumbled, rolling over to her left side and checking the digital clock on the bedside table.

"Neo, it's three in the morning. Knock it off." she growled, assuming it was the mute girl on her team that was causing it. When no sounds of moving fabric or squeaking mattresses met her ears, she turned to confront Neo herself. As she sat up, she had to stop herself in order to avoid touching her throat to the blade of the knife embedded in the wall next to her bed.

The bloodied blade stuck out of the wall about a foot including the handle, and it appeared that the blade was buried about a quarter of its length into the wall. The blade itself was somewhat rusted, but the blood appeared to be fresh, still glinting in the light coming in from the window. The edge was razor sharp, despite the decay on the metal. The handle was wooden, worn and cracked from use, dark brown in color.

Tied to the handle of the blade was a long chain made of a glass-like material, affixed to which was an ebony medallion carved in the visage of a human head. The left side of its face was missing, leaving only a skull to be shown. The entire thing was contorted into an expression of horror, pain, and fear, its mouth open in a silent scream of terror and its eyes closed. Affixed to the same steel ring that held it on the glassy chain was a small slip of old parchment, folded three times in order to fit properly on the ring.

Cinder was feeling a mix of disgust, interest, and paranoia as she looked at the knife stuck into the wall in front of her. She knew it couldn't have been any of her teammates, because not only did any of them bring any old kitchen knives to Beacon, none of her teammates left Beacon yesterday, and there was no way that any of them had brought it when they came to Beacon (she still had the lists of what each of them had packed, just so that she could make sure). So that meant someone else had to have come in and set it up.

'That's impossible,' Cinder thought, furrowing her eyebrows. 'The only people who could get in our room would be us. Not even the Atlesian guards could get in without an emergency key, and those take time to get.'

Wrenching the blade from the wall, she made a mental note to bring it up to someone who could help tomorrow. For now, she was going to clean off the blood that had dripped onto her and get herself a drink. She threw the covers off of herself, standing up and reaching for her scroll while she rubbed her eyes. She grabbed a deep red robe from out of her closet, donning it and sliding her scroll into one of its pockets. As she stepped out into the hall, she pulled the ebony necklace from the knife handle, sliding the chain around her wrist as she turned towards the bathroom.

Cinder's scream when she saw the bloodbath in front of her was more out of shock than terror. She had seen her fair share of dead bodies, and wasn't squeamish at all around blood (after all, she worked for a woman who controlled an army of Grimm), but she had never seen a person killed in such a deliberately violent and sadistic way. Even some of the more ruthless Grimm she had seen killed their victims with less intent, usually slashing a few times with their claws and then finishing with a bite.

What was left of an Atlesian guard was strewn across the hallway, the body lying face down in front of Cinder. Several large stab wounds penetrated the body, some of them piercing straight through the back and out the stomach and chest. Large gashes covered the arms, some of which were still spraying blood onto the floor of the hallway. The trailing splatters from the body to the automatic rifle lying halfway between the body and the end of the hall implied that he had been stabbed a few times, ran for a distance, and then was pinned to the wall he was lying against and finished off.

Cinder kneeled down, turning over the body with a shaking hand to inspect it more closely. She noted right away that there was a vaguely hand-shaped bruise around his throat, above which was a large slash that trailed warm blood all the way down his throat. A blood trail coming from a slowly swelling lump on his head revealed to her that he had been tossed against the wall after he had been finished off. His entire front was covered in blood, some of the stab wounds coming so close together that his shredded intestines had begun to spill from his body. His right wrist had been cut, and glancing over at the rifle on the ground, it looked to her like someone had ripped it from his hands and tossed it away.

Cinder dropped the knife, covering her mouth as she slowly backed away from the body and into the wall beside the door to her team's room. The ebony medallion bounced against the wall, swinging on it's glassy chain from the change in momentum. She looked down at it, then lifted it up and pulled the note off, hoping it might provide her with some clues as to what the hell was going on.

As Emerald threw open the door and gasped at the sight in front of her, Cinder unfolded and read the small piece of parchment. After reading it over and over, she grit her teeth and threw it to the floor. Whoever had done this had written it to mock her, to rub its grisly work in her face. She clenched her fists, storming off despite Emerald's calls for her to stop.

Emerald's eyes fell on the parchment, a confused look crossing her face as she wondered why it caused Cinder frustration. Hesitantly, she picked it up, looking at it once before turning it over. Reading it in a whisper as to not disturb anyone else, she read it aloud:

" _Cinder,_

 _I hoped you liked my memento ad mortem. A small reminder to you that you are by far one of the least vile things in this world._

 _I trust you can keep your guard up, but be warned. The one who hunts you now plays by his own rules._

 _Best of luck._

 _\- An interested observer._

 _P.S. - Tell Salem that I said hello. She'll know who I am._ "

* * *

 **Well, what an interesting conclusion! It looks like a new face will join Ruby in the Fog, and her arrival may not be appreciated by the other Survivors…**

 **Again, so sorry that this came out late. My schedule has been all sorts of fucked up, and I hope that I can keep my goal of a chapter every two weeks up. I can't say for sure, but I think I can manage it.**

 **Reviews:**

 **HydraLightning: Your request has been granted. I hope it was sufficiently violent enough for a Myers execution.**

 **InfernoKnightmare: Aww, thank you! I'm glad I'm one of your favorites! And I hope you enjoyed the kill from Myers, and that your sadistic side has been thoroughly indulged. He saved the best for last, just as he always does.**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: Thank you for your kind words. But as I'm sure Laurie will tell you, your family aren't always the safest people to be with.**

 **Anyways, I've been thinking about a couple things, and I'd like to hear your suggestions. Firstly, Perk ideas for RWBY characters that enter the Fog. So far, Pyrrha and Cinder are the only ones, but I'd love to hear your ideas regardless. Make sure that they wouldn't be gamebreaking for Dead by Daylight, but other than that, everything's fair game. Secondly, many of you have spoken about a Killer version of Ruby, and that got me thinking: what do you all think a Killer Ruby's power would be? I have an idea and a theme for add-ons, but I am genuinely interested in hearing your ideas.**

 **Regardless, I am completely open to suggestions as to things I can change, lineups for each match (who goes in with Ruby, basically), and which killers Ruby should fail to get away from. No polls are currently up on my profile right now, but I would love to make a couple more for you all to vote on in the future. I love listening to my fans, and I'd love to hear your feedback!**

 **That Random Demon, signing off!**


	12. Chapter 11: The Blackened Catalyst

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

* * *

 _Ozpin sat in his office, head held in his hands. He had spent so long searching for answers about his current predicament, but so far, he had nothing to show. He had only one lead, and even if he could get a private meeting with her, he had no idea if she was still hopeful enough to cooperate with him. If she wasn't, then it was back to square one._

 _He slammed a fist onto his desk in frustration, causing the pens and papers nearby to become disturbed by the action. He rubbed his eyes, realizing with a glance at his computer that it was time for him to retire for the night. He stood, wiping off his glasses as he walked over to the elevator. He was about to call the elevator to take him to his room when a familiar scent caught his nose. He whirled around quickly, spying the thick grey fog outside of the glass wall on the far side of the room. He raced over, his breathing becoming faster as panic overtook his body._

 _Flames tore through the streets of Vale in the distance, buildings crumbling and people burning to ash as the fire raced towards Beacon Academy. Below him in the courtyard, students lay dead, having been hung from sacrificial hooks or hacked to pieces by a variety of weapons. Indistinct figures walked among them, the glowing red fire within their eyes shining out from them. All of the figures were armed, and Ozpin had a distinct feeling that they were searching for him._

 _From out of nowhere, a hand grabbed Ozpin from behind, lifting him into the air by his throat. Ozpin struggled against the hand, twisting his head as far as he could to find where it came from. He could make out a figure from the corner of his eye, but he didn't get a better look before he was roughly thrown across the room. He hit the ground, feeling a couple of his ribs crack as he rolled across the ground and into the wall behind him. Ozpin growled in pain, clutching at his ribs with his right hand and focusing his Aura. The pain dulled, and that's when Ozpin saw his attacker._

 _The man was tall, towering at about seven and a half feet tall, his body glimmering with sweat and blood. Metal fragments were jammed into his skin, the largest embedded into his right shoulder. The only thing he wore was a set of brown, bloodstained overalls, the pockets of which were filled with small amounts of jagged metal and fragments of machinery. He held a massive cleaver made of jagged, rusting metal in his right hand, bound to a metal rod by a length of barbed wire. On his face was a large white mask made of bone, crude eye holes carved into it and a maw of sharp, jagged teeth set above where his mouth should be._

 _Ozpin shifted into a runner's stance as the man stared at him, the man himself preparing for a frontal charge. Ozpin sprinted at him, taking quick steps and closing the distance rather quickly. The man threw a good amount of strength into a swing aimed straight for Ozpin's head, but unfortunately for him, Ozpin ducked under the swing, diving through the man's legs as the masked man stumbled forward. Ozpin rolled forward, snatching the cane which leaned against his desk as he stood and turning to face the man._

" _Well, now that the balance is even, do you wish to try that again?" Ozpin said as the man whirled around, his face breaking out into a small smile. The masked man said nothing, instead growling and lunging forward once more._

 _Ozpin parried the blow with the shaft of the cane, rushing forward and slamming the knuckle guard into the man's stomach. The man hardly reacted, instead striking Ozpin in the chest with his knee before throwing a haymaker at Ozpin. Ozpin grunted as he shifted his weight back from the knee strike, ducking under the punch and retaliating with a barrage of quick jabs with his cane. The masked man raised his arms, blocking most of the strikes on his face and chest and backing up a few paces. Ozpin realized what was happening too late as the man rushed forward, tackling Ozpin to the ground and beginning to swing his cleaver at the professor._

 _Ozpin raised his cane and parried most of the strikes, feeling the strength behind each strike. He kicked up at the man's face, rolling to the side and retracting the shaft of the cane as the masked man groaned and clutched at his face. Ozpin leapt to his feet, flicking the mechanism and causing the shaft of the cane to shoot out at the man's face. The masked man reacted quickly, grabbing the shaft of the cane and pulling it out of Ozpin's hands. The momentary change in momentum threw off Ozpin's footing, allowing the man to kick him in the chest and send him into the large window behind him._

 _Ozpin hit the window hard, sending a wave of spiderweb cracks racing across the glass and a shooting pain through Ozpin's side. Ozpin grunted in pain, pushing himself back to his feet as the masked man charged. The professor sidestepped the swift punch the masked man threw, throwing an Aura-infused punch into his side as the man recovered. Ozpin ducked under a pair of cleaver swings, grabbing the man's arm after the second swing and pushing hard against it, throwing the masked man off balance. Ozpin leapt into the air, kicking the man in the back and springboarding off of him back towards his cane. The man slammed into the window, causing more cracks to spread across it as Ozpin rolled and collected his cane once more._

 _The two raced towards each other, locking their weapons against one another and fighting for control. It was clear who was going to win the contest of strength, so the headmaster retracted the shaft of his cane and disengaged from the clash. The two backed up, staring each other down as they circled around the center of the office. Ozpin moved first, extending the shaft of the cane again and charging in as the masked man raised his blade._

 _Unfortunately for Ozpin, the masked man had been expecting him to parry the swing and had prepared for it._

 _Ozpin took the backhanded strike directly to the face, dropping his cane as he staggered back. His glasses flew from his face, the lenses cracking from the force of the strike. The masked man grabbed Ozpin by the back of the coat and threw him towards the window, shattering it completely from the force and stopping most of Ozpin's momentum. The headmaster grabbed for the edge of the tower, but he was already too far out of the window to catch himself. He fell towards the courtyard, looking up as he heard the call of ravens from the top of the tower._

 _Hundreds of ravens lifted off from the top of the tower, flying down and beginning to circle around the professor. Above the ravens, the sky was filled with thick, black clouds, from which emerged long spider-like legs of dark orange chitinous flesh. Though they didn't have any form of eyes visible to him, they all began to twitch in an agitated manner as if they had seen him. The ravens began to circle faster and faster around him, and a quick glance below him revealed that he was running out of time to think._

 _Ozpin let out a scream of terror as the spider limbs speared down at him, the ravens watching hungrily at the certain death that was soon to happen._

* * *

Ozpin snapped awake, sitting up as fast as a shot in his chair. He was wide-eyed and was breathing heavily, panic filling his being as he recovered from his nightmare. He was still at his desk, no shattered window or masked murderer to be seen. He rushed to the windows behind him, watching as the city of Vale began to wake up. The courtyard below him was still empty, and the only people walking around the grassy area were the staff that were on patrol.

Ozpin sighed, taking a moment to compose himself before he walked back over to his desk. His computer had powered off, the monitor dark as Ozpin sat back down. He took a moment to look over his desk and make sure everything was there, then reached over and switched on the monitor. He had to cover his eyes for a moment as the bright light of the screen filled his eyes, but after his eyes adjusted, he let his arm rest on the desk.

He was surprised at just how many messages had shown up in the few hours he had been asleep. Over one hundred messages had been sent to him, twenty-six calls had been made to his scroll, and a few of the staff members had even sent him a round of emails. He clicked on the messages, skimming over them quickly. They were all the same. Someone had died, and they needed him to get down there.

Ozpin pulled back from the computer, tearing open one of his desk drawers and rifling through it. When he didn't find what he was looking for, he slammed it shut and moved onto the next. He rifled through every drawer of the desk, and by the time he was done, he was both terrified and frustrated.

The knife that he had taken yesterday was gone.

Ozpin leaped from his chair, taking off for the elevator and climbing inside.

* * *

Ruby sat in the lobby of the medical wing of Beacon, waiting for the doctor to give her the all clear. Her hands shook with fear, and for once, she was glad that no one was there to see her. The things she saw last night... she wasn't sure that she would be able to ever forget them.

She opened her bag again, pulling out the journal she kept to talk in about her life, stress, and other things without fear of anyone seeing. Clicking the pen she had taken from the doctor's desk, she opened the journal to a fresh page and began to write.

As she wrote, the stress weighing down on her shoulders became less straining to bear. Her hands stopped shaking, and as she wrote, her breathing evened out, though her heartbeat didn't slow down in the slightest. Her back became straighter, and by the time she was done writing, she felt far better about what was going on. The door opened, and a nurse came out holding a rain jacket and a small stack of papers. Ruby set down the journal and stood up, a mostly-genuine smile crossing her face as the two approached one another.

"Well, looks like you're free to go. Just don't put too much stress on that shoulder for a week, and then you should be good to go!" the nurse said, handing Ruby both of the things in her hands and smiling. "It's pretty stormy out, so I brought you a coat." Ruby smiled, sliding on the coat and taking the papers from the nurse. She thanked the woman and stepped out into the rain, wanting to be out of the medical wing as fast as possible.

'The nurse wasn't lying when she said it was storming out,' Ruby thought to herself as she felt the hundreds of tiny droplets splash against the jacket and her legs. She looked across the courtyard, seeing massive puddles and patches of mud that obscured most of the grass of the field. She sighed, looking up to see that the grey skies seemed to have no end.

Normally, Ruby would be leaping into the puddles, not even caring about the state of her clothes, but right now she wasn't in the mood. She pulled up her hood, shivering as she pulled the bag closer to herself and walked out into the muddy ground between her and her destination.

The mud splashed against her legs as she walked, the liquid freezing cold and clinging to her calves. She shivered, increasing her walking speed slightly as she rubbed her already numbing hands to keep them warm. She felt her foot sink deep into a sudden patch of mud, letting out a groan as she pulled her leg out. She felt the muddy water fill the bottom of her shoe as she stepped down and hung her head as she thought about how much walking through the rain with a wet sock would _suck_.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she stepped on something hard and smooth.

An old, cypress wood chest lay half-buried in the muck underneath Ruby's feet, tied shut with a still-smoking piece of burnt cord. The chest itself was small, maybe about a foot long and half as wide and tall, bearing a small mark on one side in the shape of a circle with a triangle inscribed within. The chest itself was mostly dry despite the rain, but the cord securing it shut certainly was.

Ruby picked up the chest, giving it a shake and listening to what sounded like paper, metal, and wood shifting around. Giving it a quick look, she attempted to open it, but found that the cord was tied tight around it. A few attempts at pulling and messing with the knot later, and Ruby gave up, holding the chest under one arm and her bag in the other as she started to run towards the door on the other side of the courtyard.

As she reached it, something thumped against the inside of the chest. Ruby looked down, shaking the chest again but hearing nothing different. Sighing to herself, she made a mental note to grab something to defend herself with once she got around to opening the box. She stepped inside, pulling off her hood and making her way over to the elevator. There was no way she'd be taking the stairs with a shoe full of water.

* * *

Ruby stepped back into her room, adjusting her clothes as she relaxed. A hot shower and a change of clothes was exactly what she needed after all of the things she had experienced in the past few days. Now, all that was left to do to complete her recovery session was to take a nap. She climbed into her bed and threw the covers over herself, settling in for a nice, hour long nap.

About a minute later, she rolled over, adjusting herself in bed to make herself more comfortable. A few seconds later, she squeezed her eyes shut, pulling the blankets up to her chin as she tried to make herself comfortable. Seconds later, she rolled onto her stomach, turning her head away from the window to keep from the light from her eyes. After another minute of shifting and changing position, Ruby let out a disgruntled sigh and threw the covers off of herself, sitting up and scratching her head.

A thumping coming from her closet drew her attention, her eyes widening slightly as she realized it was probably the chest again. Another thump made up her mind on what she should do about it, causing her to climb out of her bed and walk over. She uncovered the chest from underneath the clothes and shoes she had piled on top of it (she knew Weiss wouldn't be happy about it, but she'd worry about it later), bringing it out into the light.

She took a second to tug at the cord wrapping around it, making sure that it was still fastened. She turned around and went over to the nightstand, digging around inside for something to cut the cord with. When nothing turned up, she groaned in frustration and turned back to the chest. It sat there, plain and unmoving, but Ruby had a feeling that it was something more. Something… worse, though she couldn't reasonably explain why.

Three loud knocks rung out, causing Ruby to jump at the suddenness. "Coming!" she called, quickly dumping the chest back into the closet and throwing a coat over it. She looked around the room, making sure nothing was too out of place, then crossed to the door and opened it just enough so that she could talk face-to-face with whoever was on the other side.

Coco and Velvet stood on the other side, Velvet holding a 'Get Well Soon' card. Ruby smiled, opening the door a little bit wider so that she could comfortably lean against the doorframe. Coco smiled as she saw Ruby, pulling off her sunglasses so that Ruby could see her eyes, which were full of relief and happiness. Velvet took a small step backwards out of caution, but quickly regained her smile and handed over the card to Ruby.

"Aww, thanks!" Ruby said, taking the card and opening it. She was surprised to find the signatures from all of Team CVFY on the card, as well as quite a few signatures from students not just in higher grades, but also from the other schools as well. "What brings you here, Coco?" she asked, looking up from the card to the brunette in question.

"Well, I'm here for a few reasons," Coco began, leaning against the other side of the doorframe. "First, I'm here so that nobody bullies Velvet. She's good enough to handle them, but when anyone else is with her, no one even dares." Coco smirked playfully at Velvet, who gave Coco a glare that had feigned annoyance behind it. Ruby nodded, knowing from her interactions with the rabbit Faunus that Velvet preferred having her teammates or friends around over the relentless bullying that found her while she was alone.

"Second," Coco continued, looking back over at Ruby. "I wanted to come to say that I'm sorry. I knew you were on edge about something the whole time, but I should have asked you what was wrong. Maybe then…" Coco trailed off, gesturing to the bandages on Ruby's side with a sad expression on her face.

Velvet spoke up next, stepping over to Coco and putting a hand on her shoulder. "She's been blaming herself for it. For the past few days, she's been really quiet, and she didn't open up about how she was feeling until late last night. I told her to come with me to the medical wing first thing this morning, but it looks like you were let out already."

Ruby set down the card on the desk near the door, going over to wrap her arms around Coco gently. The brown-eyed girl didn't object to the hug, leaning into it slightly as Ruby patted her on the shoulder. "It wasn't your fault," Ruby said softly. "You just didn't know everything. I ran because I saw someone I didn't recognize running towards me, and I didn't realize I had become lost until I had stopped running." After a moment, Ruby spoke again. "Who knew that a chainsaw-wielding maniac just so happened to be in the area, huh?"

Coco sighed, wiping the tears out of her eyes and nodding. "Yeah…" she said quietly. "Yeah, you're right. Still, I wish I could've helped more."

"Yeah…" Ruby said, trailing off as she stopped hugging the older girl and stepping back. "So, any more reasons you came by?"

Coco looked at the girl, grinning as she chuckled slightly. "Yeah," she said. "I still owe you lunch from the other day."

* * *

Cinder sat on the floor of her room, her eyes closed as she let out slow, deep breaths. She was concentrating on something, and she needed it to be silent in order to accomplish it. Her teammates understood what she was doing, and were using the time to catch up on work and other things, so she had the afternoon to herself.

She extended her hands from her lap, sending out a considerable amount of Aura and focusing it into a shape in front of her. "I need to speak with you." she whispered out loud, concentrating the orange power of her soul into a large spherical shape about two feet off the ground. As she opened her eyes, her arms fell to her sides.

Salem's figure began to take shape in the red sphere, and Cinder smiled to herself. Salem had wanted to communicate with Cinder, Emerald, and Cinder while they were within the walls of Beacon Academy, but as phone calls or messages could be tracked, and it would be risky and difficult to smuggle in a Seer Grimm, Salem had bound a small amount of each of their Auras into the body of a Seer Grimm and taught them how to use their Aura to communicate through it.

"Well, Cinder." Salem said as she took shape within the sphere of orange Aura. "This is most unexpected. You have already reported to me this week."

"Yes, my lady, but something… unexpected has happened on our end." Cinder said calmly, hiding her inner fear behind a mask of neutrality. "I would just like to explain to you the events, and then you can inform me of our next course of action."

"A complication?" Salem asked, her red eyes showing a small amount of irritation and curiosity. "Do tell, Cinder, what has happened?"

Cinder began to explain. She explained the injuries she had sustained yesterday from the fight (showing Salem the bandages as she did), the murder that had occured late last night, and the note that had been left behind. Salem listened with what Cinder assumed to be interest, though it was hard to tell, as the pale woman sat completely still, the only movement she did being an occasional blink. Once Cinder had told her almost everything, Salem leaned back in her seat slightly, rubbing her hands together.

"That certainly is strange, though nothing to be concerned over." Salem said with a tone of familiar authority. "Continue with the plan as I've told you, though keep an eye out for suspicious behavior." With that, Salem shifted as if to get up from her seat.

"My lady, wait." Cinder said, catching Salem's attention. "On the postscript of the note I received, the 'interested observer' said to tell you hello. They say you know them."

If Salem could turn any more pale, Cinder assumed she would. The pale woman's hands shook as she sat back down, turning to face Cinder. "What." Salem asked in a demanding tone, furrowing her brow but keeping her eyes wide open.

"They said you would know who they were." Cinder said, reaching into the folds of her dress and producing the ebony medallion. "This was attached to the note when I found it. Do you know what it is?"

A series of complex emotions passed across Salem's face fast enough that the casual observer might not recognize them all. Fear, paranoia, confusion, anger, dread, thoughtfulness. Cinder leaned back as Salem leaned far closer, searching around the room behind Cinder for something. Cinder herself turned, failing to see anything out of the ordinary until she glanced at the window.

A lone raven sat on the windowsill outside, staring in through the closed window. It's beady black eyes shimmered in the dim sunlight reflected from the window, though it's feathers seemed too dark even for the cloudy sky. Cinder had heard that ravens were intelligent and observant creatures, but this just seemed like an odd behavior for any animal to exhibit.

"Kill it," came Salem's voice from just behind her. Cinder jumped in surprise, whirling to face the red-eyed woman.

"What?" Cinder asked, a little confused. "It's just an animal. It's not doing anything but staring at us."

"It is _not_ just an animal." Salem growled, a threatening tone covering the fear in her voice. "Now, do as I say and _kill it._ "

Cinder couldn't hold back the snort of amusement that came out of her mouth. "What, are you afraid of it?" Cinder asked, smirking as she looked back at the raven. It quirked it's head at her, as if wondering why she looked over.

If looks could kill, Cinder would have been no more than a bloodstain on the carpet. Salem growled fiercely, getting so close to Cinder's face that for a few seconds, Cinder forgot that Salem wasn't actually there. "You are testing my patience, _Cinder_." Salem spat through gritted teeth. "Do as I say, and we'll forget this _ever_ happened. Do I make myself clear?"

Cinder nodded wordlessly, sweating profusely as she stood and crossed to the window. Her hands shook as she opened it, her eyes locked with the raven's as the glass barrier between them was lifted. It looked at her with a gaze that read ' _Do it, Cinder. I dare you.'_ Cinder looked back at Salem, who was sitting upright, staring with an approving, yet stern gaze.

The fireball Cinder threw engulfed the raven completely, causing it to let out to a squawk and fall from the windowsill. It thrashed and flailed as it fell towards the ground, the fire engulfing it slowly as Cinder watched it. She stepped back from the window, feeling a small knot of dread tying itself in her gut.

"We have wasted enough time." Salem's voice cut through the haze surrounding Cinder's thoughts. "Keep to the plan, but burn any of those ravens you see. Report back to me soon." With that, the image of Salem disappeared, and the Aura gathered where she was returned to Cinder's body. Cinder quickly rushed to the other side of the room, throwing open the door and running down the hall to look for Emerald or Mercury.

She didn't notice the burning body of the raven flying up to the window behind her.

* * *

"Oh, I needed that." Ruby said as she left the restaurant. "You don't know how bland hospital food can get until you've tried it."

"Well, you've certainly eaten your share." Coco said, stepping out a moment after Ruby. "Didn't think someone could go through a plate of sweets so fast…"

Velvet came out a moment later, clutching her stomach as she did. "Ooooh, I think I might've eaten too much." she muttered, taking a moment to lean against the glass window beside the door.

Ruby stepped out from under the awning covering the entrance to the restaurant, frowning as she felt the rain droplets splash against her coat. "If only the weather wasn't so crummy, this would have been the perfect afternoon." she muttered to herself, sighing as the other two girls walked along behind her.

"You guys want to head back to school?" Coco asked, looking over at the other two girls through her shades. "I'd kinda like to take a walk through the park, but if you two just want to head back, I can call a taxi."

The other two agreed, and the three set off of through the park. The muddy dirt path squelched under their shoes, making a disgusting noise that reminded Ruby of the Hillbilly's breathing. The rain splashed into the grass and dirt around them, and every once in a while, Ruby swore she saw something moving through the trees around them.

As Ruby turned her head to look at the figure, she experienced the very uncomfortable feeling of her foot sinking into knee-high mud. She looked down and groaned, catching the attention of the other two girls. They stopped as well, coming over to help her as she tried to pull her foot out while keeping her shoe from coming off in the process. As the two older girls tried to dig Ruby's foot free from the surprisingly heavy muck, Ruby caught sight of the figure again, though this time, the figure remained there.

"Hey, what are you looking at?" Ruby screamed at the figure, drawing her two friends' attention. They looked over, spying the figure as it disappeared behind the trees nearby. Coco immediately went on the defensive, putting herself between Ruby and the trees where the figure disappeared.

"Vel, stay with Ruby." Coco said over her shoulder, raising her fists and walking forward. "I'm gonna find that person and tell them to leave us alone. If I'm not back in five minutes, call the police and come after me."

"Coco, wait!" Ruby tried to grab the brunette, but the mud held her foot in place, causing her to almost fall over as Coco stepped out of her limited reach. Velvet was at her side instantly, helping her back to her feet and kneeling down to pull her leg free.

As Coco vanished into the mist forming from the rainfall, Ruby's foot came free of its muddy prison, minus her shoe. Ruby let out a sigh of relief, looking down at her rain-soaked foot and dreading the walk home already. Velvet handed her the mud-covered shoe, then stood and wiped her hands on a nearby tree.

"Ough," Ruby said as she reluctantly slid her shoe back on. "I didn't think today could be bad, but my mind has changed."

Velvet chuckled slightly as she watched Ruby wipe the mud from her shoe, sighing after a second and looking at the younger girl's face. "Oh, I know the feeling." the Faunus girl said. "Trust me, things can always get worse."

Ruby sighed in a humorless way, giving up on cleaning off her shoe. "I understand where you're coming from," she said with a touch of sadness in her voice. "I've been wrapped up in so much over the past week-"

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud, wet step coming from the path behind them. The two whirled around, stepping away from the noise slightly as they looked for its source. A second after, a chorus of light and quick steps sounded leading towards their left, drawing their attention in that direction. A branch snapping behind them caused them both to whirl around. More strange sounds echoed from various places around them, causing the two girls to stand back to back and scan the surrounding area.

"Coco?" Ruby called, peering into the bushes where she had just heard something struggling. "What's going on?"

"Sh-show yourself!" Velvet shouted, her voice sounding a touch more timid than she would have hoped. "C-come out an-and show y-yourself!"

The cacophony of noises around them only became worse as they shouted, the noises coming closer and receding at odd intervals that made the two girls even more terrified. Figures began to appear in the mist around them, all of them staring or running around the two girls, which only amplified their terror. The two looked around, trying to keep track of all the figures, but there were too many for the both of them to keep track of at once.

"How many do you count?" Velvet shouted over the noisy chaos surrounding them. "I count five on my side!"

"Five over here, too- wait, I've got six on mine now!" Ruby said back, her eyes snapping to another frail figure darting around from her right. "You've got one coming from the left!"

"I see it!" Velvet replied. "Up to five over here! I think there's ten in total, so keep track of how many you can see!"

And so they continued, shouting out how many of the figures they saw as the numbers shifted and vanished from their sight. Velvet would quite frequently find herself startled as one of the figures would come much closer than they had before, coming within mere feet of the Faunus girl before vanishing into the mist again. She began to pick up on features that each of the figures had: small build, hunched back, misshapen right arm, little clothing, all of which these figures shared.

A sudden noise from one of the trees above them caused Velvet to look up. She gasped as she saw one of the figures climbing up the branches of the tree, a sight which made her heart race. They were coming closer, becoming more brave, and Velvet was beginning to fear for her life.

"I've got six, and ones in the trees!" she shouted to Ruby, who turned her head, confused and worried.

"What? I still see five over here!" Ruby shouted, staring at the one in the trees. "Where did the other one come from?!"

"I don't know!" Velvet screamed, tearing her eyes away from the one in the tree and looking the other way. She saw a shape, one of the figures, she presumed, charging towards them, and shouted a quick "Look out!" to Ruby the second before it hit them.

The chaos around them stopped as the figure tackled Ruby, sending the two of them crashing to the ground and knocking Velvet on her ass. The figure and the girl in red rolled and struggled, trying to flip the other onto their back and gain an advantage in the grapple happening between them. Ultimately, the victor was the figure who had tackled Ruby, and as it pinned the young girl to the ground, Velvet finally got a good look at it.

It may have been human at one point, though referring to it as such would have been incorrect. It had the figure of a woman, though its skin appeared to be made from bark and mud, and the dreadlocks growing from its head appeared to be made of rope and creeper vines. Its eyes were gone, and in their place sat empty sockets that chilled Velvet to her soul just to look at. Its mouth lacked lips, instead being a collection of rotted gums and sharp, black teeth that were affixed to its jaws. Both of its hands were twisted and deformed, its left being small, bony, and frail while its right was large and tipped with sharpened claws. It wore nothing more than a mossy grey strip of fabric around its torso and waist, but even that had been rotted away, exposing most of its hips, stomach, and breast.

Velvet snapped out of her trance as it let out a wet hiss, sounding like a growl made with mud-filled lungs, and pressed the claws on its right hand against Ruby's throat. "Hey!" Velvet yelled, standing and charging at it with nothing more than her fists. "Get off of her, you creep!"

The creature hissed again, looking over at her with a look that radiated malice and shifting its posture. Velvet had no time to react as it swatted her away with the force of an Atlesian Knight's punch, sending her flying back into a tree nearby and knocking the wind out of her. She fell to the ground, winded and paralyzed as it turned back to Ruby and spoke to her.

"You look absolutely delicious, little one." It gurgled and spat bile from its mouth as it spoke, causing Ruby to retch and struggle against its grip on her arms. "But as much as I would love to feast on your entrails, I am here on other matters." After it finished speaking, its face lost any softness it had held previously held and its tone became cold and demanding. "Bring me back what you stole."

Ruby had to will herself not to vomit from the decay on its breath and its putrid bile spraying onto her face. "I-I didn't… steal anything… from you..." she managed to say before retching as the disgusting air made its way into her mouth.

Ruby felt a sharp pain in her throat as the creature dug its claws into her neck in a way that caused pain but did not draw blood. "I know you have them, girl." It growled at her, pressing its face closer to hers as it spoke. "The heart, the chains, the book, they are in your possession. And you will give them to me, lest I sever you from your comfortable life."

"I-I don't… have them…" Ruby said, tasting bile in the back of her throat as she spoke. "I n-never took… a h-heart from anyone… and I d-don't have any books…"

The creature growled, pressing harder on her throat with its claws. Ruby felt her Aura manifest, preventing the claws from doing any real damage, but she knew it wouldn't last. "Last chance. Tell me where they are, and you and your two friends will-" It was cut off by loud footsteps coming from further up the path.

Both the creature and Ruby turned to see Coco, covered in mud and bits of plants, running up towards them. The creature raised its claw once more, preparing to swat her away as it had done to Velvet, but Coco leaped into the air and swung her foot in a sweeping roundhouse kick. Her foot connected with its cheekbone, the force behind the kick forcefully hurling the creature off of Ruby.

Coco landed in front of Ruby, standing between the downed creature and the younger student. "Go. Help Velvet." she whispered loud enough for Ruby to hear. "I'll cover you, but you have to hurry." Ruby nodded, taking a second to spit the vomit that had come into her mouth onto the ground before standing up and running over to Velvet.

The creature climbed to its hands and feet, crouching and hissing at Coco with it's disgusting teeth. "Out of my way, girl." It spat, scratching at the ground with its right hand. "This is not between us."

Coco snorted, cracking her knuckles and settling into a fighting stance. "I would say throwing me into the mud from the top of a tree is reason enough for a fight." she said, cracking her neck as she spoke. "Besides, you're messing with my friends. And I do not turn a blind eye when creepy bitches like you do it."

* * *

Ruby scrambled over to Velvet's still figure, grabbing her shoulder and shaking her hard. "Velvet!" she said, shaking Velvet harder and rolling Velvet over to check for damage. "C'mon, Velvet, shake it off!"

After a few seconds of laying on her back, Velvet sucked in a huge breath and then began to cough. "Damn, that thing can hit hard." she murmured between coughs, putting one hand on her stomach and the other on Ruby's shoulder. "Fucking hell, that's going to hurt for a while."

"Hey, hey, stay quiet." Ruby said, putting a hand around Velvet's shoulders and helping her sit up. "You were hit hard, so just let your Aura do the work."

Ruby watched as Velvet's breathing began to slow down and the tension in the brunette's forehead began to fade. "Ough," Velvet said after a moment. "That thing hits hard. Where is it now?"

The relief on Ruby's face vanished. "Coco's dealing with it." Ruby said simply, throwing a glance over at said girl, who was currently retreating from a flurry of vicious swipes coming from the monster. "We have to get out of here. Come on." she added quickly, trying to help Velvet to her feet.

"What? No!" Velvet said, shaking off Ruby's hand and looking up at her with frustration in her eyes. "We can't just let Coco fight this thing alone! She'll die!" Velvet forced herself onto her knees, but she collapsed onto the ground after trying to stand. She clutched her stomach with her left hand, planting the other firmly against the ground and pushing herself back up.

"Are you kidding, Velvet? We'll die with her if we fight that thing!" Ruby shouted at her, grabbing Velvet's shoulder and spinning the girl to face her. "Besides, Coco's distracting it so we can get out of here!"

"Do what you want to, Ruby." said Velvet as she forced herself to her feet. "But I don't leave friends behind."

With that, Velvet turned and charged at the creature fighting Coco, letting out a scream of rage and pain as she ran. The creature turned a second too late as Velvet threw herself at the creature, throwing her arms around its neck and locking the creature in a chokehold. While she didn't succeed in actually cutting off the creature's air supply, her added weight made it lose balance and collapse to the ground on top of her. The two thrashed around, the creature trying to free itself and Velvet trying to hold on without getting raked by its claws.

Coco stood there for a moment, dumbfounded by what just happened. "Velvet?!" She screamed, confused. "I thought I told Ruby to get you out of here!"

"Yeah, but I'm not letting you fight this thing alone!" Velvet shouted back, the effort she was using to hold the creature down evident in her voice. "Now, are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help me?!"

Ruby cursed under her breath, taking cover behind a rock nearby as Coco ran over to beat on the creature a little more. The silver-eyed girl pulled her scroll from her pocket, dialing the police as she shivered in fear. After the third ring, the call went through, but Ruby cut them off before they could answer.

"Hello! I'm calling to report a fight!" Ruby said, looking back over the rock to see that the creature had stood up, Velvet still hanging on, and was now trying to slash at Coco with its claws. "My friends are trying to hold off the attacker, but I don't think they can hold it off for long!"

"Whoa, missy." A voice came from the other end, cutting off her train of thought. "Can you tell us where you are? Is the attacker armed? What do they look like?"

"I can't talk for long." Ruby said quickly, taking cover behind the rock again as Velvet was grabbed by the creature and thrown into a tree nearby. "We're at the park. It's just us, but I don't think we can hold off the attacker for long. They aren't armed, but it looks like they've got some kind of claws on their hands."

"Alright. We'll get a few squad cars over there." The voice on the other side said. "Sit tight, and we'll be there soon."

"Please hurry!" Ruby said before hanging up. She was about to stand up and join in the fray when her scroll began to vibrate. Looking down, she groaned as she saw Yang's caller ID displayed on the screen, groaning even louder as she saw the request for a Video Call displayed under her sister's name.

"Great…" she muttered, before putting on a cheerful face and answering the call. "Hey Yang! What's up?"

Yang's face appeared on the screen, smiling back at her sister. "Hey, Rubes. I'm just hanging out in our room, and wanted to check up on you. What's up on your end?"

"Oh, nothing much," Ruby said, sweating a little as she forced a chuckle. "Coco wanted to take a walk through the park, and I just stepped off the path to talk with you."

A loud snarl erupted from the other side of the rock, and Coco's grunting and screaming was heard shortly after. Yang's smile disappeared, replaced by a concerned frown. "Ruby, What was that?" she asked in a demanding tone. "What's going on?"

"Uh…" Ruby began to sweat, turning to peek over the rock. She saw the creature holding Coco's throat with its massive right hand, biting at her with its rotten teeth. Coco kicked at it, landing a couple kicks on its misshapen face, but that did nothing to deter its snapping jaws. Velvet struggled to stand from the pile of splinters and tree branches as one of her legs hung limply from the knee, which she relocated by kicking the nearest tree hard. The faunus girl's left eye was bruising, and Ruby was sure her Aura was nearing its limit in terms of the damage it could take.

Ruby ducked back down, looking back to the screen in front of her with a forced smile. "Oh, some guy and Coco are getting ready to fight, and Velvet's trying to break it up." she lied, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "I'll go see what's up once we're done here."

Yang didn't look convinced, but she seemed to accept the excuse. "Alright. If you say so." she said, skepticism apparent in her voice. "So, how's the par-"

A loud, gurgling scream echoed across the area as Coco scored a hit with the tip of her boot directly into the creature's eye socket. It dove into the bushes, avoiding Coco's haymaker with the nimbleness of a cat. Coco cursed loudly, her eyes scanning the surrounding area with rage as the rustling died away.

"Ruby, what was that?!" Yang yelled, angry and confused. "What the hell is going on?" From what Ruby could hear, Blake had entered the room and was confused as to why Yang was so angry.

"Yang, I have to go." Ruby said quickly, standing up and shuffling to her left. "I'll tell you later-" she stopped, spotting the triangular symbol under her right foot that was scratched into the ground with inhuman hands.

Ruby realized what was happening a moment too late.

The triangular symbol faded with a flash of orange embers. The ground erupted under her feet, throwing her into the air and spraying the surrounding area in dirt and mud. The creature burst from the ground, roaring with rage and pain in its tone. Ruby hit the ground, her scroll bouncing out of her hand as the creature lunged for her, sinking its claws into her arms with a swipe of its right hand.

Ruby could hear Yang screaming her name from the scroll beside her on the ground, but that didn't persist. The creature scooped up the scroll in its left hand and hurled it away from them. Ruby heard a sound like glass breaking and plastic cracking, and Yang's voice cut off abruptly. The creature turned back to her, baring its teeth and preparing to bite, but Ruby balled up a fist and punched it in the face as hard as she could. The blow connected, but it didn't do as much as she hoped it would, instead simply stopping the bite from connecting.

That was all the distraction Ruby needed, as she wrapped her arms around the creature and activated her Semblance. The shot off like a bolt, Ruby using the creature's body as a shield from all of the obstacles she was steering into. The creature retaliated with its claws, slashing and jabbing Ruby across her back and sides. Every time it hit her, she could feel her concentration slipping, and with every hit, her speed decreased. With one last burst of effort, she let go of the creature and stopped herself, sending it flying past a pissed off Coco.

Ruby collapsed to her knees, exhaustion and pain flowing through every nerve in her body. Coco ran to her side, helping the younger girl to her feet and checking over her for injuries. "Damn," Coco said after her inspection of Ruby was complete. "That was a good move."

"Heh...y-yeah…" Ruby managed to say. "Y-you were p-p-pretty good-d too."

Coco smiled, then turned her attention back to Velvet and the creature. Velvet was cupping her black eye with one hand and was staring at the creature with her good eye, standing about a meter away from it and just staring. The creature looked dead, half-buried in chunks of wood and sporting some serious cracks in its skin. A black liquid, which was what Ruby could only assume to be its blood, leaked from the corner of its mouth, forming a small pool on the ground beside it.

"Gods damn it, you were one tough son of a bitch." Coco said to it, but it didn't react.

Velvet turned away from it, revealing to Ruby and Coco a patch of bloody and torn fabric on her neck, under which was a set of three claw marks. Coco rushed over, trying to tear a bit of her sleeve off of her coat and bandage the wound, but her teammate waved the brunette off, grumbling out "I'm fine," as she slowly limped past.

A strange noise, similar to laughter but so far from it as well, rang out across the clearing, drawing the attention of everyone present to the now-kneeling creature. It chuckled and croaked with laughter, spraying blood and disgusting saliva on the ground in front of it. The smile on its face, though, was unmistakable and horrifying, especially with the jagged, broken teeth left behind from the injuries had sustained.

"Hehe… This will not be the last time you see me…" It cackled, snapping its fingers and staring at the group. "The half-breed bears my curse… and I will return to collect the items _you_ stole from me… You will regret the day you tried to keep Its plans from taking form, little rose." With that said, the creature plunged its hands into the ground, crumbling into dried mud and dirt which quickly filled the hole it made with its hands.

The three girls breathed a sigh of relief, glad to finally be rid of the monster that had ruined their day. Ruby and Coco looked at each other, Ruby covered in tiny scratches and punctures all over her clothes and Coco holding the scratched and mangled sunglasses and beret she had been wearing before. Their eyes locked, and just for one second, Coco thought she saw something she didn't expect to see.

There was a primal fear displayed within her eyes, one which Coco had never seen before.

Before she could press the issue, however, Velvet's hands shot to the scratches on her throat, which had been caked in mud. She began to gurgle, coughing and spitting a thick spray of mud onto the ground in front of her. She collapsed, coughing and gurgling even more violently as Ruby and Coco kneeled down to her side and groaning when the mud wasn't spraying from her mouth. After around a minute of coughing up mud, Velvet dry-heaved for a moment, then sat up and wiped her mouth.

"Ohhh…" she moaned in pain and delirium. "My ears… everything looks fuzzy…"

"Velvet?" Coco asked, then shouted at her when the faunus didn't respond. "Velvet! Can you hear me?!"

Velvet rubbed her eyes, then rubbed her temples with her fingers. Ruby's ears caught the sound of a police siren in the distance, and she looked up with hope in her eyes. Coco apparently heard it too, because she turned to Ruby and yelled "Go! Get some help!" before trying in vain to get Velvet's attention. Ruby took off, sprinting towards the sound of sirens and once more losing sight of Coco and Velvet, instead being surrounded by the mist caused by the rain.

* * *

"My gods, Yang, I've told you the story a million times! It's true!" Ruby shouted at her sister as they exited the Bullhead dropping them back at the school. "How many times do I need to tell it before you understand?!"

Yang scowled at her sister with crossed arms. "Don't give me that tone. How am I supposed to believe it when you tell me that you, Coco, and Velvet were attacked by a bark-skinned woman who could clone herself through magic and had claws for a right hand?! It's insane!"

"Well that's what happened!" Ruby growled at her, then crossed her arms and looked away. "Disbelieve all you want, but I know I'm right."

The two girls were interrupted by someone shouting "Hey!" at them from a distance. They turned to see the other two members of their team, the other two members of Team CFVY, and the entirety of Team JNPR walking towards them. Ruby took that opportunity to jog over to them and away from Yang (who she was entirely fed up with talking to at this point).

"Hey Ruby!" Nora called to her as the young girl jogged up.

Ruby nodded at her, then looked over to Fox and Yatsuhashi, who were expectantly and worriedly looking at her. "Coco and Velvet are alright," she told them. "Velvet got hurt during the fight, and Coco decided to spend the night with her at the hospital." The two guys looked incredibly relieved, thanking Ruby for letting them know. The others, however, looked very confused.

"Wait, fight?" Weiss asked, looking towards Ruby with sudden interest and confusion. "You got into a fight while you were out?" The heiress turned away, and Ruby could swear that Weiss had said something like "Didn't think of you like that much of a troublemaker," but she disregarded the statement and began to explain, in a shorter version than she had repeatedly explained to the police and her sister.

She explained the lunch the three of them had had before it. She explained their walk through the park and how she had seen someone stalking them. She explained how Coco had gone off to find that person, and how everything had gone to shit after that (she didn't say it that way). She explained how Velvet had gotten injured, and how the thing had disappeared.

For a moment, everyone stood there in silence, caused by either shock or confusion. Then, Ruby found herself barraged by comments, questions, and statements from everyone except for Yang, who had just walked up behind her. "What did the attacker look like?", "How did they dissolve into the ground like that?", "Was it some sort of Semblance they used to make themselves look like bark?", these were all things that everyone asked her, and Ruby was overwhelmed by the wave of thoughts and questions hitting her from all sides. All of them were speaking, all except for one person.

Pyrrha stood at the back of the group, pale-faced and rigid with fear. She locked eyes with Ruby, staring at her and mouthing the words: _We need to talk. Alone._ Ruby looked at her, the girl's expression changing from overwhelmed tension to spine-tingling terror. She broke eye contact with Pyrrha, turning to face the crowd of her friends in front of her.

"Hey hey hey!" she said, catching everyone's attention. The sudden attention directed at her was enough to make her stop, but she continued nonetheless. "I-I'm feeling rather exhausted from all of the stuff happening today, so I'm gonna turn in." Without waiting for a response, she pushed past her friends, moving rather hurriedly through the doors on the far side of the landing area.

She reached her room quickly, though not without using her Semblance to aid her movement. She waved her scroll in front of her door handle, then slipped inside and locked the door behind her. As soon as she was sure she was alone, she flipped open her scroll and dialed Pyrrha's number. The champion picked up on the second ring, greeting Ruby with a simple "Hello?"

"Are you alone." Was Ruby's reply, a demand rather than a question for Pyrrha.

A few seconds of silence came from the other end, then Pyrrha replied quietly. "Yes, yes I am. We need to talk about what happened today."

"That's why I called." Ruby replied, pulling a chair from one corner of the room and sitting in it. "It said something to me, before it disappeared. Something about me regretting the day I enterfiered in It's plans. I don't know what it was, but…" she trailed off, but was sure Pyrrha had understood her message.

"...Do you think that thing was working for whatever is causing these… trials, in our dreams?" Pyrrha asked after a moment of silence, and Ruby caught onto the fear in her voice.

"Probably." Ruby said without hesitation, then paused, before adding another thought. "...Pyrrha, there's something I need to tell you."

"What's wrong?" Pyrrha said, concern in her voice.

"...Something else happened, last night." Ruby said, her voice laced with fear. "I think someone else is going to be joining us at the campfire tonight."

"What do you…" Pyrrha asked, then a gasp of realization sounded from her end. "Oh gods no, Ruby. It's taking another student?"

"I'm afraid so." Ruby said, melancholy evident in her voice. "I think it's someone from Haven Academy, but I don't know. Just… make sure to keep an eye out for them, alright?" Her voice grew softer as she spoke, becoming gentle and sad by the end of her question.

Pyrrha was silent for a long time, but she eventually did speak. "...Alright. Take care, Ruby." Without another word, she hung up. Ruby tossed her scroll onto the nightstand, grabbing the bracelet from on the desk and climbing it into her bed. She slid the bracelet onto her wrist, bundling herself up in her heavy blankets and rolling over to face the wall. She was unconscious in minutes.

While she was lying there, drifting unconscious, she didn't notice Blake slipping into the room. The faunus girl looked up at her, a concerned look on her face, before grabbing Ruby's scroll and unlocking it. She flicked through apps until she found the caller list. She checked the I.D. of who Ruby had just called, then noticed the video call Yang had made to Ruby earlier that day. The information on the call had shown that the call had ended due to connection errors, and noticing this, a thought crossed Blake's mind.

'Didn't Ruby say that her scroll had broken during the fight earlier?'

* * *

 **I'm alive and back! I hope all of you have had a wonderful 77 days since I've last updated here (By the Entity, has it really been that long?).**

 **I'm not going to be doing reviews this time, because most of the reviews I've gotten since the last chapter was posted are just encouragement. However, I will say that you guys were one of the three reasons I got motivation back for this story. The other two are, in this order behind you guys: The launch of the in-game store/Curtain Call DLC and a writing class I took this week.**

 **Anyways, I've been thinking about a couple things, and I'd like to hear your suggestions. Firstly, Perk ideas for RWBY characters that enter the Fog. So far, Pyrrha and Cinder are the only ones, but I'd love to hear your ideas regardless. Make sure that they wouldn't be gamebreaking for Dead by Daylight, but other than that, everything's fair game. Secondly, I've been viewing some of the cosmetics in the store and I have to say: some of them look amazing (looking at you, Mother Bear Huntress). So, as sort of a thing so you guys can go nuts with ideas, what are you guys thinking in terms of alternate costumes for the RWBY survivors?**

 **Regardless, I am completely open to suggestions as to things I can change, lineups for each match (who goes in with Ruby, basically), and which killers Ruby should fail to get away from. Right now, the only poll up on my profile is a question asking whether I should include longer chapters or stick to a defined schedule. I'd love to hear your feedback!**

 **That Random Demon, signing off!**


	13. Chapter 12: Ruinous Hexes

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

* * *

 _Ruby awoke on the bow of a wrecked ship and almost immediately had to catch herself as she rolled down towards the shattered center of the boat. After managing to successfully stop herself from taking a tumble through the mud, the young girl scowled towards the sky. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that her placement was intentional, and that the thing controlling the Trials was amused by it._

 _Regardless, she climbed down off of the ship and onto the muddy earth, looking down as she heard a squelching noise. She noticed that a good portion of her shoes was sunken into the mud, but surprisingly enough, she could pull her feet from the mud without any sort of struggle. "Weird," she murmured to herself, but inwardly, she thanked the gods for it. Running from the killers was hard enough without getting stuck in mud every step._

 _Ruby's eyes flashed to the horizon as she realized that she was wasting time. She listened for a moment, hearing the telltale grinding and creaking of a generator being worked on. She took a few steps, then began heading to her left, into the reeds and swamp plants that covered most of the ground. A few more seconds passed before she found herself at the generator, which was already being worked on by a familiar, sharply-dressed face._

" _Hey there, Red." Ace said as Ruby knelt down beside him. Ruby didn't respond immediately, furrowing her brow and getting herself elbow-deep into the machine before replying._

" _My name's Ruby, not red." she said without looking at him. "And we can save the chatter for later. We've got a job to do."_

" _Alright," Ace said, a little surprised at her bluntness, but he didn't stop working. "Just wanted a little conversation to pass the ti- shit!" he cursed, cutting himself off as a slight jitter in his hands caused him to jam an exposed wire into his thumb._

" _Are you okay?" Ruby's demeanor changed immediately as she pulled her hands from the generator to look at him. He waved her off, grabbing the wires he'd been twisting earlier and getting back to work. Ruby followed suit, getting back to pulling loose bits of metal from between the gears._

 _Ruby's hand twitched suddenly, driving her finger between two gears that pinched down on it. "Ow ow ow!" Ruby yelped, pulling her finger free without doing too much damage to the generator's parts._

" _Mmm," Ace hummed as he watched this occur, looking as though he was deep in thought. "I think the killer's brought in a hex. This should be fun."_

" _A what?" Ruby said, rubbing the tip of her finger where the gears had pinched her._

 _Ace snapped his fingers as if he had just remembered something. "That's right. You don't know about hexes." he said before turning towards her. "Occasionally, the thing that made the killers puts little totems in the arena before a Trial begins. These totems look like a little pyramid about-" he held a hand about a foot off of the ground "-this high, with three small branches holding it up, which are tied to animal bones as support. Three skulls are tied to the top of it, and, if it's a hex, there'll be a pair of lit candles sitting between the bones."_

 _Ruby listened with interest and worry. "How do we get rid of them? Just break them apart?" she asked Ace as the pain in her finger subsided._

" _No, no." Ace said, waving his hands in front of him. "Don't do that. I don't know what happens if you do, but I don't really want to find out." He started to work on the generator after he said this, but he didn't stop talking. "You've gotta untie each bit of the totem, starting at the bottom and going to the top. Then, you need to blow out the candle at the bottom, and while it's still smoking, scatter the bits of the totem away with your hand. If you did it right, thunder should sound and you should feel like a weight's been taken off of your back."_

 _Ruby nodded, brimming with questions about the nature of these new threats, but she kept them in her mind. "Got it." she said, turning back to the generator and continuing her work._

" _Anyways, with that discussion out of the way, I'm going to see if I can't do us all a little favor." said Ace as he stood up, sliding a hand into his pants pocket and dropping something on the ground before he walked off. Ruby looked towards what he dropped, spotting a shape on the ground similar to a large flashlight._

 _She'd seen the type before, the large, black, heavy flashlights that were guaranteed to give a blindingly bright light for a long time. Her father had two of them in the supply shed outside of their house, which he had used to watch out for Grimm and bandits at night (neither of which were that common on Patch) in the early years of her childhood. More than once, she'd accidentally turned one of them on and was nearly blinded by the resulting beam of light._

 _She eagerly snatched up the flashlight, then returned to work on the generator. As time passed, she found herself slipping up more and more often, and while it wasn't that much of a big deal- a twitch which jammed a wire into her hand, a momentary lapse in focus which almost sent a gear spinning out of control, a motion made too fast which got herself pinched on the hand- it got frustrating to try and work on the generator. To make matters worse, it had been a long time, and only one generator had been fully completed._

 _Ruby stood up, throwing her hands up into the air in a sign of defeat and pacing off. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she was hoping to find something else. A fellow survivor, a totem, a chest, something besides those damned generators. Hell, she'd settle for running into the killer and getting into a chase. At least then she could think about something other than repeating the same action over and over again._

 _Fate was on her side, it seems, as during her frustrated march, she quite literally stumbled upon a totem. Her foot caught on the base as she tried to keep walking, which caused her to stumble and the totem to jerk forward with her. She quickly righted herself, turning to see what had caught on her foot before kneeling down and making sure nothing about it was broken._

 _She briefly wondered why a totem was sitting in the middle of the open swamp, unattended and neglected by what created it. She then spotted the pair of candles on the ground underneath it, realizing that this might help everyone in the Trial function. She knelt down, trying to remember what Ace had told her about them. 'Untie each bit of the totem, starting from the bottom,' she remembered, and placed her hands on the leather cord that bound the bones and branches together and beginning to work._

 _As soon as she touched the totem, Ruby felt something happen. She couldn't explain it, not in the slightest, but it felt like thousands of pins and needles pressing against her skin. She shook it off, getting back to the task of gently untying the pieces of the totem._

 _A gentle, thrumming heartbeat sounded in Ruby's ears, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand tall. She looked around, trying to locate the direction of the heartbeat, but it didn't seem to have a source. Cautiously, Ruby continued, pulling the last bit of leather cord free from the totem and causing it to collapse. She quickly blew out the candle as she heard the heartbeat quicken, looking over her shoulder to see if anything was there._

 _As soon as she did, she regretted the choice._

 _Charging towards her like a bat out of hell was the thing she had seen earlier that day. Its sunken eye sockets were filled with bloodlust and rage unlike anything Ruby had ever seen before. It ran like a wolf, on all fours and raking up mud with its claws as it moved. Its mouth opened, revealing its teeth, and it roared, sending Ruby into a state of panic. She sweeped the totem pieces apart and ran, not looking back once as the thing barreled towards her._

 _Thunder sounded above them, and Ruby truly did feel as if something was lifted off of her shoulders. That feeling disappeared as the thing's claws raked across her back, filling her entire body with searing pain as she stumbled. Adrenaline filled her, filling her mind with focus and numbing the pain. She began to concentrate, the familiar feeling of her Aura surrounding her and causing her to shoot forward in a blur of rose petals._

 _She stopped focusing on her Semblance a few seconds later, coming to a halt next to a log, which she sat down upon immediately. She panted hard, her body feeling drained despite using her Semblance for only seconds. She looked up, seeing someone in the distance coming towards her, though she couldn't see who it was. Standing up and clutching her bleeding shoulder, she limped towards them, hoping that she could get her wound patched up before she had to run into the killer once more._

* * *

 _Cinder awoke on cool, damp grass, surrounded by a thick mist. She blinked twice, feeling as though something was wrong, but couldn't figure out what. She stood, looking around confusedly for a moment before a sound caught her attention. She turned, seeing the dim glow of a campfire in the distance, and started towards it, hoping to get her bearings once she reached it._

 _As she walked, she noticed the trees behind her and the refreshing, cool earth that made up the ground beneath her. It was an unfamiliar place, reminding her of the Emerald Forest that was within walking distance of Beacon Academy, but it was so far off from that place that it unnerved her. She rubbed the sleeves of her stolen Haven Academy uniform as she walked, the cool mist around her suddenly becoming a biting cold that made her shiver._

 _And as soon as that chill had come, the mist parted, and Cinder found herself standing a few meters away from a campfire, just behind a girl with crimson red hair. She wore a grey hoodie that was unzipped, a dark red skirt, and maroon high-heeled boots that came halfway up her calf. Her hair was held back with a bronze circlet around her head, from which hung tiny emeralds on thin, golden chains. She faced away from Cinder, looking around as if expecting someone to show up._

 _Cinder put a hand on the girl's shoulder to get her attention, causing the girl to jump and whirl around. "Where is this?" Cinder asked as soon as the girl was fully facing her, spreading her hands out and gesturing to the woods around them. "What's going on?"_

" _Uh…" the girl said, looking away from Cinder for a moment, before looking down at the raven-haired girl's lapel. "Oh, you must be our newest arrival. Why don't we sit down and I'll explain what is happening." Cinder swore that she knew this girl somehow, but she couldn't be sure. The bronze circlet, her green eyes, her crimson hair, all of it looked so familiar, but she didn't have a name to go with the girl's face._

" _Fine. As long as I get some answers." Cinder half-spoke, half-growled as she moved towards the logs on the ground serving as seats. Nothing was making sense, and that was something which Cinder couldn't handle. She hated not knowing something, but what she hated worse was when someone else had information she needed. It made her feel helpless, though she would never admit it._

 _The girl sat as well, across from Cinder in a way that made her seem just as nervous as Cinder felt. "Everything I'm about to say will sound insane," she started, a statement that made Cinder uneasy. "But I need you to trust me. Even if you don't believe a word I say, you need to listen. Can you do that?" Cinder was shocked by that statement. 'Who in their right mind would say something like that?' she thought to herself, but regardless of what she thought, she hesitantly nodded._

 _The girl sighed, then locked eyes with Cinder. "You… aren't in your world anymore. No matter what you may think, we aren't anywhere on any map, and no one will find us while we're here." She said, a serious look on her face. "Who we were in the world we came from doesn't matter here. All that matters here is survival. At some point while you sit here, you'll feel something, and the fog will fill the clearing. Once it clears, you'll be somewhere else, and it'll be up to you and three others to escape that place._

" _No matter where you are, four things are guaranteed to be there with you. The first are the generators. There are always seven, but only five need to be powered to escape. They are your priority, above all else. The second are the gates. Two large, metal gates always show up on the walls that keep the place you'll be going to boxed in. Once the generators are powered, these will be powered as well, and these are your next priority."_

 _The girl paused, taking a moment to breathe before continuing. "The third constant is the hunter. Their goal is to find, torture, and sacrifice you on the various hooks stationed across the arena. You have tools to escape them, but you can't hurt them. Not as much as they can hurt you." She stopped, rubbing a bloodstained spot on her shoulder as if it had started hurting. "The fourth constant is the hooks. No matter where you go, there's a fair chance you are within a few dozen meters of one. They will come back, no matter what you do to them. They are your fate if the hunter catches you. Unless someone comes to rescue you, you're as good as dead."_

 _The girl stopped, looking at the ground silently and sadly. Cinder was left speechless and shocked. She didn't have any reason to believe the girl, but the way she spoke made the whole story sound so… believable. She didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything._

 _A sudden sound erupted from the woods behind her, sounding like a raven suddenly cawing and flying away. The two of them turned, seeing a figure sitting on the ground behind them. He had black hair, tanned skin, wore a tattered green jacket, brown cargo pants, and hiking boots. His hair was a mess, his eyes were thin and judging the two, and in his hand sat a few raven feathers._

 _He stood, approaching the two and sticking the feathers into his pocket. His eyes rested on Cinder for a moment, then he turned away from her, crossing to the other side of the campfire and sitting down. He didn't speak at all, instead just staring toward the fire with a dull look in his eyes._

 _Cinder stared for a moment, looking at him with confusion. "Who the hell are you?" she asked him, prompting an alarmed and annoyed look from the girl._

 _The man seemed to catch on to both of their looks, because he chuckled dryly and looked up from the fire, the hint of a smile on his face. "Polite, aren't we?" he said to Cinder, prompting her to glare daggers at him. "But anyways, my name is Jake Park. Do you have a name?"_

" _Cinder. Cinder Fall." Cinder said back. "And I'm not normally polite when I'm lacking knowledge and planning for my current situation, so you're just going to have to deal with it for now."_

 _Jake chuckled again, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it with the flames from the campfire. "Get used to that feeling then, Cinder." he said before taking a drag from the cigarette. "Nothing's ever really explained here. The only thing we can rely on knowing are our means of survival, the killer's goal, and our fate after the hooks." After he stopped speaking, he looked up as if he was trying to remember something painful._

" _Oh? And what comes after the hooks?" Cinder asked, worried yet angry at the same time._

 _Jake took a minute to answer, taking a few long drags from his cigarette in the silence. "...If you seriously want to know, then I'll tell you. But be warned, it is not for the faint of heart." He said, looking over and seeing her expression. He seemed to take her fierce tone and determined look as as much approval as he would get from her. "Fine, fine. I warned you." He turned to fully face her, and for the first time, Cinder saw the missing glimmer of hope in his eyes that she had seen from most people she had met. It was a strange sight, but it paled in comparison what he said next._

" _You get lonely at first. You just hang and wait for someone to rescue you, or-" he mumbled something to himself that Cinder couldn't quite make out, but made him chuckle nonetheless. "Then, you get a feeling like being watched, but its- how do I say this- more intense, like a massive weight was hung from your neck. It persists for a few seconds, and then-" Jake's tone became serious at this. "It shows up. Its claws dig up from the ground, climbing the hook and surrounding you. Its claws look like spider legs, but they're as sharp as a razor blade and as hard as reinforced steel."_

 _Jake shivered, taking a moment to put the cigarette back in his mouth before continuing. "Its claws stab at you, and, if you're lucky or fast enough, you can catch the one that would stab you through the heart and hold them off as best you can. It is stronger than you, but you fight Its will for as long as you can." Cinder could tell he spoke with a sense of familiarity, as if he had done it so many times before. "But, as all things are here, It is stronger than you. It finds a way to force past your defense and stabs you so many times with Its talons. You can feel yourself die, but you don't go to heaven or purgatory here." He shivered in fear again. "No, the punishment for death here is worse than any hell you could live through."_

 _Cinder sat in fearful silence, stiff as a board as Jake stared at her with his hollow eyes. "The first few times, you won't remember it." He said in a low voice. "You'll just wake up here, in so much pain that you can hardly keep your eyes open. But after a while, you'll realize what happened while you were 'asleep'. Everyone else here will notice it too. You'll seem less vibrant, angry, depressed, joyful. All of your emotions seem to fade, as do any interests you may have had. You start to become numb to the pain, numb to the suffering you endure all the time. And that's when you realize what's happening to you."_

 _Jake left that to hang in the air as he cast the butt of his cigarette into the fire. Cinder didn't need any more words from him to connect the dots and realize what he was saying. She shivered at the thought of who she was being stripped away until she was nothing but a body with no soul. The girl beside her was equally shaken, her emerald green eyes wide and her face pale._

 _Jake stood, looking at the two girls, before reaching behind the log he had been sitting on and producing a toolbox full of hacksaws and other tools of sabotage. "Enough talking about our impending doom," he said, looking back at them with a humorless smile. "Why don't we stand up and face it?"_

* * *

" _RRAAGH!" Ruby screamed, hurling the toolbox she was using to the side and kicking the generator. It took about two seconds for her to realize that what she had just done had probably just been one of the most dangerous things to do, and about three to realize that she should get the hell out of there quickly._

 _It had become apparent to Ruby that the totem she had broken was not, in fact, the one that emitted the hex of frustration (a term which Ruby had taken to calling it, as she had no better name for it) around the hunting grounds. It was instead a strange totem that Claudette had referred to as 'Thrill of the Hunt', which apparently had allowed the Hag to see her working on the totem and had slowed the progress of its destruction. She had also just learned that the totem recently broken was not the hex of frustration either, which had infuriated her to the point that she had thrown the toolbox she was carrying in momentary rage._

 _Ruby picked up her flashlight from the nearby chest, sliding it into her belt as she walked. She watched the skyline, seeing the four powered generator lights in the distance and wishing it were five. She also saw the three blinking generator lights that had remained the same way for quite some time, wondering about how the others had managed to keep working through their shakes and jitters. She chalked it up to experience and patience, both of which she hardly had any of._

 _The heartbeat of the Hag caught Ruby's ears, and she quickly ducked into a patch of reeds as Ace raced towards her, the Hag close on his heels. She held her breath, not knowing why she did but continuing to do so regardless. A few moments after Ace vanished, Ruby heard him scream in pain. Instantly, her hand gripped the flashlight in her belt and she rushed from her cover._

 _She found Ace on the Hag's shoulder about ten meters away. The Hag, despite its frail frame, easily carried him with one arm while leaving the other free to slash at any unfortunate soul that managed to cross its path. Ruby slid the flashlight into her hand, waiting for a moment as the Hag turned around before flicking the light on and shining it directly into its face._

 _The Hag dropped Ace immediately, covering its face with its large hands and backing away slightly. Ace landed on his feet, taking off towards the exit gates as the alarm sounded. Ruby held the light on the Hag for about 15 seconds, then flicked it off and took off in the other direction. The Hag took a few more seconds to recover, then roared and took off after her._

 _Ruby ran as fast as she could without her Semblance, darting through the reeds and boulders strewn across the swampy terrain. She could hear the Hag bounding after her, no doubt preparing its claws to strike, but before it could, she darted through a pile of crates and stopped momentarily to slam a pallet onto its head. It snarled and stumbled back, disoriented as Ruby raced for the exit gate._

 _The metal gate slid open in front of her as Ace hobbled over to her side, clutching his leg in pain. "Ruby…" he said between hoarse breaths and moans of pain. "I'm not gonna be able… to run like this… I might not make it…"_

" _No! I'm not gonna leave you behind!" Ruby replied, looking at him and figuring out a way to help him. "I'll carry you if I have to!"_

" _Ruby, wait-" Ace tried to interrupt, but she had already begun to lift him into a fireman's carry. It was hard for her to achieve, but she managed to get him onto her shoulders just as the Hag emerged from the reeds behind them. Without hesitating to adjust herself further, Ruby took off running._

 _Ruby was not stronger than the average person, nor was she able to sustain much weight for long, but the one thing she was good at was running. She outpaced the Hag by steps as the ground under her feet changed from concrete to grass, and her speed only increased from there. She could tell Ace was losing blood fast, and no matter what she did here, she wouldn't be able to bandage him up properly here. So she ran until her legs hurt. She ran until her back threatened to give out. She ran until every nerve in her body screamed for her to stop. But she didn't stop running until she reached the Campfire._

 _As she breached the treeline into the firelight, her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground. Ace rolled off of her shoulders and onto the dry earth surrounding the campfire, where Quentin immediately dragged him over to the logs nearby and cracked open an Emergency Medkit. Dwight and Nea got down beside Ruby, shouting at her with worry in their voices, but she didn't here a word they said._

" _... Help… Ace…" she weakly murmured before her head slumped over and she passed out._

* * *

All four members of Team RWBY awoke to knocking on their room's door. A collective groan of exhaustion erupted from them as they stood, some of them putting on bathrobes and some of them (mainly Yang) just opening the door to see who it was.

"Can I help you?" Yang asked, folding her arms and leaning against the doorframe. "Or are you here to gawk at me too?"

The man on the other side stared at Yang for a moment, not even looking down to see the V-neck sleeveless shirt or the black shorts she was wearing. "I believe you can help me, Ms. Xiao Long." he said, adjusting his glasses and looking down at the clipboard in his left hand. "I'm looking for your sister, you see."

Yang's face went from tired to deadly serious as she balled her fists and stood up to her full height, which was still about seven inches shorter than he was. "Oh really?" she said, a slight edge in her tone. "And what do you want with her…" she took a look down to his chest, where a nametag read 'Hello, my name is: Doctor Herman Carter'. "... Dr. Carter?"

Dr. Carter looked unimpressed by the attempted intimidation. "We need your sister because-" he stopped, glancing through the door frame and spying Ruby, who had just slid the bracelet into one of her pajama bottoms pockets. "Ah! Ms. Rose! We need you at the hospital, please."

Ruby rubbed her eyes and looked up at him, seeing him clearly for the first time. He was tall, taller than her by quite a bit, with darker skin and black hair that was cut close to his head. He wore a black suit with a red tie under a white doctor's coat, all of which was neat and cleaner than she expected it to be. His teeth were perfect and white as he smiled at her, his pale blue eyes holding nothing but the patience and kindness one would expect from a doctor.

"I'm coming with." Yang stated bluntly as she turned to go get some clothes on.

"You will have to wait outside my office then, Ms. Xiao Long." Dr. Carter retorted, not breaking eye contact with Ruby. "Ms. Rose, I'll give you and your sister fifteen minutes to get ready, then you need to meet me out here. I need you to affirm something while we're at the hospital with Velvet. I think she may have contracted something rather… dangerous to her wellbeing, and I wish to hear what happened before I make any calls."

* * *

 **Another chapter already? I know it's been only a week since I last posted, but I thought you guys deserved better than just one chapter after my long hiatus, so this chapter is up one week after the last one. If there are any spelling or grammatical issues, let me know. I may have rushed this and not gone over it as thoroughly as with the others.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Loldino: Would it be too spoilery to say that Ozpin's been at the campfire before? I'm not sure. I'll let you decide.**

 **InfernoKnightmare: Glad to be back, friend. I appreciate your input, and while they won't be next, I've got one of them planned to face off with the Huntress. Your idea gave me a little inspiration for one of Velvet's perks, though…**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: Shit hit the fan on Chapter 5 of this story. The shit's just been getting considerably worse with each passing chapter.**

 **Natstateguy: I can't give you specific details yet, but I can give you this bit of information: Do you remember how the Huntress used to kidnap and "raise" little girls when she was younger?**

 **Hydralightning: Glad to be back at it.**

 **Jeggetts: I actually got the notification for you sending this while I was finishing up this author's note. I'm sorry I can't include your Tyrian idea right now (I've had an idea for who's going to be facing the Doctor for quite a while), but I do hope to include your Leatherface v. Emerald idea later! Thanks for the idea, actually. I was struggling with that one for quite a while.**

 **Anyways, I'd love to hear from you guys more. Right now, I have a poll (which I haven't checked recently) on my profile asking whether you guys would like longer or more frequent chapters. I'd love to hear your input on that and on this in general. As always, you guys can send in perk ideas for RWBY characters, ideas on teams who face the trials with Ruby, and those who end Ruby's life one of many times.**

 **That Random Demon, signing off!**


	14. Chapter 13: The Spark of Madness

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

* * *

"What a strange story." Doctor Carter said as he checked the various machines connected to Velvet's unconscious form. Ruby felt pity for the Faunus, as she had been in a similar situation just a few days ago. She watched the rabbit-eared girl for any sign of consciousness, but to anyone unable to see or hear the heart-rate monitor, Velvet appeared to be newly dead.

"You don't believe me?" Ruby asked, expecting a response she had gotten so many times from the police interrogators and paramedics at the scene.

"I'm not sure yet." He said, straightening up and turning to face Ruby, Yang, and the half-asleep Coco. "One one hand, the way you spoke made me believe you were telling the truth. You didn't get sidetracked, you didn't add in details you had seemingly forgotten, there was no verbal parroting at all. How you said it was believable."

"Really?" Yang asked, looking at the doctor with confusion. "You're buying-"

"Ms. Xiao Long, I was not finished." Doctor Carter interrupted, holding up a hand. "The subject material of your account, however, was not as believable. I simply cannot believe without sufficient proof that you were attacked by a woman with skin made of bark and a hand with black bone claws, and that she placed some sort of curse on Velvet here. It simply isn't feasible."

"Doctor, I don't mean to be rude, but your reasoning is bullshit." Coco said from her chair, her eyes half open as she looked up at Doctor Carter through her sunglasses. "I was there, and everything Ruby just told you is true. It sounds insane, I know. I've been replaying the events in my head for the past sixteen hours, wondering if I've lost my mind. But there's no reasoning that you can come up with to explain away all of our injuries, the state Velvet's in, and the damage cause to that area of the park."

For a moment, the doctor seemed stunned at the bluntness of her words, as if he weren't used to his interviewees being this brutally honest. Then, he folded his arms and looked away from the girls for a moment. "I have to make sure…" he muttered, before trailing off and gesturing for the three to follow him.

He lead them through the halls silently, coming to a door labelled "Herman Carter" on it. He opened the door, the motion-activated lights coming on as he entered. Inside, they saw a large metal desk covered in papers, pens, and books, flanked on all sides by comfortable-looking chairs. A row of filing cabinets blocked the view of the wall on their left, and a set of disorganized bookshelves were resting against the wall on the right. Against the far wall was what appeared to be a metal rod with a leather grip, a sight that was concerning, but the three ignored it for the moment.

Dr. Carter sat down, pulling open a drawer and placing a couple devices on his desk. One of them looked like a small wristlet with a cable attached, while another looked like a blood pressure cuff attached to a pair of straps that were wide enough to fit around someone's chest and stomach. They were all attached to a small, black device that had a heart rate monitor and a set of dials and buttons on its face. The doctor switched it on, then turned to face the girls.

"This," he started, turning the dials of the device in a manner that made sense to only him, "is a polygraph, or a lie detector, whichever you prefer. You'll have to excuse my old-fashioned tendencies, but this device has been one of my preferred methods of determining falsehood among my patients."

"We don't… _have_ to be hooked up to that if we don't want to, right?" Yang asked, looking at the machine with skepticism.

"You, Ms. Xiao Long, do not need to be hooked up at all." Dr. Carter said, looking up at her. "But for Coco and Ruby, they can opt out if they wish."

"I'll do it," Ruby said, stepping forward. "It's not like you'll be shocking us if we lie, right?"

"Of course not." Dr. Carter said, pulling a chair from the front of his desk over to the side. "I assure you, you'll be one hundred percent safe during this process."

Ruby sat down in the chair, looking over at him as he worked with the polygraph. She caught a glimpse of his pale blue eyes, and she thought she saw something in them she didn't recognize. It was almost like glee, but… that wasn't all it was. She didn't get long to think about this as he placed the wristlet around her wrist.

As he pulled his hands away, his little finger brushed her wrist, sending a spark of static electricity onto her skin. Ruby yelped, blinking and rubbing her wrist as she felt the shock. It was a small jolt, but her skin stung as if prodded by a low-charge taser. She looked up at him and nearly fell out of her chair because of what she saw.

No longer did he look like a goodly doctor, with hair combed neatly and fresh-looking clothes. Instead, he looked like a monster, with ash-covered skin and stained clothes. His sleeves were torn away, revealing a plethora of scars and burns covering them. His eyes were forced open, as was his mouth, by a wire-like contraption that connected to a set of electrodes stuck to his shaved head. His teeth were yellowed to the point of rotting, his eyes surrounded by a layer of greyish dirt and dust, but his pupils shined the same pale blue color.

" **Ms. Rose?"** That was what she assumed to have come from his mouth, though there was a definitive static crackle behind his voice and he could hardly move his lips. Ruby blinked again, and she was back in the office, the real Dr. Carter standing over her with Coco and Yang at his side.

"Ms. Rose, are you alright?" Dr. Carter asked, concern in his eyes. "You started flailing around and breathing heavily."

"...Y-yeah," she said after a minute, still wide-eyed with fear. "...W-where's the bathroom-m-m? I'm n-not feeling s-so good."

"Down the hall, take a right, first door on the left." Dr. Carter said, stepping back to let her stand. As soon as he said that, she unclasped the wristlet, leaped out of her chair, and bolted down the hall towards the bathroom.

* * *

 _Cinder awoke on a bench on the sidewalk in a moonlit neighborhood. Looking around, she saw nothing but the houses, fences, and a few older cars. "What the hell…?" she said, standing up and walking out into the street. She looked around again, but couldn't see much beyond the thick fog obscuring her vision. Her mind wandered back to what Jake had said, and one particular thing he said had crossed the forefront of her mind._

' _Never stop moving, and always hope you're two steps ahead of the beast.'_

 _Cinder wasn't the type of person to argue with the more-experienced man (even though she couldn't see him), and so she took off, moving at a fast, yet stealthy pace into the overgrown lawn of one of the houses. As she reached the door, a scream echoed from deep within the fog, causing her to stop and turn around. Some small, kind part of her wanted to run bravely into the fog to save the person, but she squashed that urge quickly. 'You'll only get yourself killed if you do something like that,' she chided herself, turning away and rushing inside._

 _The first odd thing she noticed was the lack of lights inside. Normally, she presumed, there would be at least an overhead light and maybe a few lamps for a particularly big room like this, but the only things lighting the house was the smoldering ashes in the fireplace and the ambient light from outside. Not to mention, all of the damned fog around her was obscuring her line of sight._

 _The second odd thing was that she heard a heavy, rusted grinding sound as if some rusty machine was trying to move part of itself. That was not only odd, but it set her on edge immediately. She was about to step outside, when another scream of pain echoed from the fog behind her, closer this time. She jumped slightly, stepping out of the view of the door and bolting up the nearby stairs._

 _Cinder scrambled up the steps, slipping once and breaking part of the banister. She felt a jolt of pain shoot through her hand, but she didn't have time to check if she was bleeding. She scrambled through the long hall at the top of the stairs, passing an abandoned personal study on her left, a pair of broken-down bedrooms to her right, and a bathroom to her left until she made it into a moderately large room._

 _She found herself standing on a tattered rug, staring at a large, metal generator that rested by the wall. Around her was nothing, save for a few cardboard boxes of stuff and an old trunk against one wall. She looked to her left and nearly threw herself into the large, red locker that she saw. She made sure to close the doors quietly, pressing herself against the back of it as she listened for something, anything to happen._

 _Cinder didn't have to wait long to have her wish granted._

 _A heavy footstep, deliberate and slow, broke the silence. It sounded from the entrance hall to the house and was followed by a second, then a third shortly after. Cinder listened as the footsteps walked through the lower floor, every step causing the raven-haired girl's fear to double. The steps stopped in the room below her, and Cinder could swear that she felt eyes staring at her for a long moment._

 _She nearly screamed as the footsteps started once more, just as slow and deliberate as before but filled with purpose. They moved back the way they came, but instead of leaving through the door, they began to climb the stairs. Cinder was on the verge of a breakdown by the time the steps had reached the top step, but she kept it together for the moment._

 _As she listened, a dull heartbeat began to sound in her ears, as if she was pressing her ear to the chest of someone who was incredibly calm. She had no idea what it was, but it surely wasn't her heartbeat, as it had long surpassed that point and was now threatening to burst from her chest. She had plenty of time to ponder what the source was, as whoever the footsteps belonged to took their time moving through the upper floor towards her._

 _Cinder froze as she saw a long shadow pass against the wall opposite her. She soundlessly pressed herself to the very far corner of the locker, so that she could see out but hopefully whoever was out there couldn't see in. The footsteps were as loud as they could be as the figure that had stalked her into the house entered the room she was in. For the first time, Cinder saw what was pursuing her, and she truly wished she hadn't._

 _It was a man, tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a pale, white mask and a pair of dark blue denim overalls. Said overalls were freshly stained with blood, and the knife held loosely in his right hand was dripping with the same liquid. His heavy leather shoes stomped against the floor with enough force so that Cinder could feel it through the locker, and the heartbeat in her ears now sounded like a person who had just received an insane boost of adrenaline. All of these things would most definitely terrify any normal person, but these things didn't scare Cinder individually. No, she was afraid because she had met and fought with this person before._

 _The same man that attacked her the other day flicked the blood off of his knife, rubbing his finger against the flat edge of the blade as he scanned the room for her. Cinder's eyes widened as she realized just how stupid she had been. She had made a rookie mistake: hiding in the one place obvious enough that a blind person would be able to find her. Her eyes widened further as she saw his gaze lock onto the locker's doors, and she thought her fears were confirmed at that very moment. To her surprise, though, the man turned away, walking back towards the entrance to the room._

 _She heard the steps creaking in the doorway to her right, and as the heartbeat in her ears faded, she slowed her breathing to a normal level. She was safe now, and she thought she could take it easy. After opening the locker door, she slowly took a look around, seeing small clumps of dirt stuck onto the rug from where the man had stepped. As she walked down the hall, she stepped carefully, making sure she wasn't stepping on or in anything he may have left behind._

 _She was so preoccupied, in fact, that she didn't see a tall shadow staring at her from the darkness of one of the bedrooms nearby._

* * *

"Coco, you've been here long enough," Yang said, tugging on the aforementioned brunette's shoulder. "Velvet's gonna be fine. Now, the rest of your team is worried, and I promised that you guys would be able to see each other today."

Ruby had to admit, if there was something shared between the two older girls, it would have been their stubbornness. Coco and Yang had been going at this for about ten minutes, and neither one showed any sign of giving in. It was an admirable quality, sure, but Ruby didn't feel like being this stubborn was doing anyone any good.

"I'm fine here, Yang," Coco replied, frowning at Yang through her sunglasses. "I'll talk with them tomorrow. I just want to make sure Vel's okay. I know you'd do the same if it was one of your teammates here."

"I didn't ask what you wanted to do. I asked you to come to talk with your team." Yang said in the tone Ruby could tell meant that she was starting to lose her patience. "And for the record, my sister was in the same situation just a few days ago. We all visited her then."

It was at this point that Ruby stepped in. "Hey hey hey," she said, separating the two with her hands. She turned to Yang. "Yang, let her do what she wants. If she wants to stay here, then so be it." She then turned to Coco. "Coco, your team is worried. You need to talk to them today. Take your time, but don't neglect them. They care about Velvet too." With that, she grabbed Yang by the arm and began to drag her away, which the blond didn't really object to.

Once they were out of the room, Yang turned to face her. "What she's doing isn't healthy," Yang stated. "She's going to wear herself out worrying like that, and gods know that her team doesn't want to lose her too."

"Yeah, but she's recovering, too," Ruby said back. "Velvet means a lot to her, and even if she spends a week in here, she needs the recovery period. Besides, I don't want to eat the bland food they serve here again." Yang sighed but didn't protest as they walked out of the building.

Their trip back to Beacon was quiet, the two sisters sitting beside one another but not saying a word. Ruby's eyes were focused out the window, at the grey clouds that dotted the sky, while Yang's eyes were focused towards the floor. Both of them seemed tense, but while Yang was tense because she was afraid for her sister's life, Ruby was tense because she wasn't able to get that horrifying image of Dr. Carter out of her head.

As they stepped out of the bullhead, they met with their other two members, who were standing only a couple of yards away from the landing pad. Weiss looked as regal and stoic as she always was, but as her teammates approached, one could faintly see a genuine smile form on her face. Blake was… well, she looked like shit, but she looked far better than she had in a long while. The shadows under her eyes looked less pronounced, and she had brushed her hair and seemed to have showered since they had last seen each other.

"So, I take it the good doctor didn't just take you down there to check on Velvet?" Weiss said to the two of them. The sisters nodded, and the four of them turned to walk back to their room.

As Weiss and Yang conversed, Blake and Ruby walked in silence next to one another. Ruby half-listened to the conversation going on next to her, while Blake seemed distracted by… well, to be honest, Ruby couldn't tell, but it was clear that the cat Faunus was distracted.

"Hey, Blake?" Ruby asked, causing the Faunus's gaze to whip over to her. "Are you alright? You seem…"

"Tired? Distracted?" Blake replied, and then she looked away. "...I'm fine. Just… caught up in the details."

"Details of what?" Ruby asked.

Blake paused, then sighed. "...I don't really want to talk about it right here." She said, then as she passed Ruby, she added, "We'll talk later when we're alone."

Ruby was left standing there, staring after Blake and the rest of her team. She blinked a few times, then caught up with them, unaware of the crackling field of electricity she had just been standing within.

* * *

" _Huh," Jake said as he saw Cinder approaching the generator he was working on. "Thought you'd be worse at this."_

 _Cinder frowned, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "Way to greet someone," she muttered, then glanced down at the generator. "Um, what are you doing?"_

 _For a moment, Jake stopped working, turning to look at her with an expression of utter bewilderment. Then, he snapped his fingers as his eyes lit up with realization. "I'm getting us out of here," he said, then added, "or at least, I'm helping."_

" _O...kay?" Cinder said, kneeling down next to him and watching him work. "So, how does it work?"_

" _It's pretty easy really," He said, not taking his eyes off of the machine's inner workings. "You just gotta cross wires, pull things out of the gears, and fiddle with it for a little while and BAM!" As he said the last word, the generator roared to life, the light that was flickering above them lighting up brilliantly. "You're done before you know it."_

 _At that, another generator roared to life in the distance, and a deafening sound filled the air. Cinder threw her hands over her ears, but only managed to muffle the sound a little. When she looked up, she realized that she could see a red light glowing on the wall in the distance. "What's that?" She asked Jake, pointing it out to him._

" _Our way to salvation." He said simply, then took off in that direction. Cinder, not knowing what else to do, followed him closely._

 _When they arrived, they found a large, rusted lever attached to the wall with three lights glowing on the top of it, connected by a wire to a large metal door made mostly out of scraps of corrugated iron and plates of steel. Jake immediately grabbed the lever, pulling with all of his might towards the ground. Cinder looked around as a sudden heartbeat filled her ears, spotting the same figure she had seen earlier power walking in their direction. He held his knife up to his shoulder, blade pointed at her, and as she watched him approach, she knew that both of them weren't making out._

" _Come on!" Jake shouted, turning away from the door to see what was taking her so long. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the Shape marching towards them, only about a dozen meters away at this point._

 _It was at this moment that she acted._

 _Shooting her leg out, she kicked Jake in the back of his knees, knocking him to his hands and knees. With her hands, she grabbed him by his baggy jacket and shoved him forward, then took off in the other direction. Jake tried to stand, but as he got to his feet, the Shape's knife flashed across his chest, knocking him to the ground again._

 _By the time Jake was upon the Shape's shoulder, Cinder was long gone. She didn't stop running until she couldn't see the gate behind her, and only then did she stop. She panted heavily, realizing what she had just done. She didn't feel regretful, nor did she feel sympathy. She only felt determination._

 _If she was close enough, she would have seen Jake looking in her direction, flipping the double bird as he was carried off to his doom._

* * *

Ruby was having a hard time keeping her wits about her.

Ever since that first spark from Doctor Carter, she had been experiencing more static electricity than she had ever experienced in her life. Every single thing she touched seemed to send a spark of it through her body, and with it came the ever-increasing paranoia she had begun to feel. She kept going from reality to hallucination in the blink of an eye, and it was without warning, making it harder to conceal.

Currently, she was sitting in her team's room, rocking back and forth in her chair. She had her head in her hands, covering her eyes and hoping that the hallucinations would go away soon. She didn't want to explain to any of her friends why she was having a breakdown in her room by herself.

Ruby's hands came away from her face as the hallucinations faded away, the old, rotted office becoming her room once more. She wiped a fresh round of tears from her eyes, which were already red from crying, and then grabbed her scroll and checked it. Only two new messages were present: a text from Coco, letting her know that there was an update on Velvet's condition, and a direct message from Nora, who was wondering if she was coming down for dinner. She ignored both, partly because she was so incredibly tired and partly because she just didn't want to talk to anyone.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her train of thought. "C-come in!" She shouted, wiping her eyes on her sleeve and trying to sound as normal as possible.

The door opened, revealing Blake standing on the other side. The black-haired girl smiled a little, and Ruby smiled back as the Faunus entered the room. "You don't have to knock, you know," Ruby said. "This is your room too."

"I know," Blake replied, sitting down on her bed and looking over at Ruby. "Yang was just worried and I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well, here I am," Ruby replied, spreading her arms out to the sides with her palms facing the ceiling. "And I'm fine, I swear. Yang just worries too much."

"I'm sure she does," Blake said, looking away. "But she does it for a good reason. She's worried about you, as am I."

"Blake," Ruby groaned, shaking her head. "I'm fine. I just told you that nothing's wrong-"

"Bullshit," Blake said, her face becoming serious. "You haven't been yourself for the past few days. You're reclusive, getting yourself into trouble, and getting into things someone your age shouldn't be getting into."

"So I've gone through a bit of a change, so what?" Ruby said, throwing her hands into the air. "I'm still me, regardless of what I do or get into. You don't need to worry about me."

"Maybe not, but Yang is," Blake said, her tone taking on a slight edge. "She's seen some of the behaviors you've been showing off, and she's more worried than you might think. She cares about you-"

"-and I'll deal with it. You need to stay out of it, Blake." Ruby said, standing up and crossing over to the girl. "I'm. Fine. And I wouldn't need your help if I wasn't. I can deal with things by myself."

Blake stood as well, glaring into the shorter girl's eyes. "I thought so too, just recently." She said, and it was clear she was losing her patience. "But Yang's managed to convince me otherwise. Some things require friends to get through, believe me. And like it or not, you're going to have to spill whatever it is you're hiding to your sister eventually. I'm just giving you the option of doing it willingly."

"And what if I don't take your offer?" Ruby asked, losing her patience as well. Blake opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted as Ruby's scroll buzzed on the desk. Both girls looked over, Ruby visibly irate as she crossed the room to see what it was this time.

A new message from an unfamiliar number was the only thing that greeted her. She opened the scroll, pressing on the screen to view it. The profile had no name, but its profile picture was of a dark-skinned man facing away from where the camera would have been, a series of electrodes attached to his bald head. The message itself was brief, containing an audio file and a short caption: _*Time for your treatment.*_

"Who is it?" Blake asked from the other side of the room.

Ruby scowled at her, but answered her question anyway. "Dunno," she said. "Their number isn't on my phone, but all they sent was some kind of audio message." Blake nodded, and Ruby turned back to face the screen, hitting the play button and turning up the volume.

The message began with the sound of an old cassette tape being put into a player, and then the player beginning to run. A garbled burst of static filled the air, causing both girls to wince, Blake even more so than Ruby. A voice cut through the static, beginning to read out some sort of interview intro, though they could only make out a few words. As he stopped, Ruby's entire body went rigid, her eyes growing wide.

Garbled, out-of-order words began to blast through the scroll's built-in speaker, causing Ruby to drop the scroll and cover her ears. Ruby began to scream as the scroll's volume seemed to increase, and Blake rushed over to comfort the younger girl. "Ruby! RUBY!" she shouted, shaking the girl's shoulders to get her attention. "Ruby! What's going on?! Can you hear me?!"

Ruby's eyes snapped over to Blake, and the Faunus saw that they were wide and filled with tears. "Turn it off! Turn it off!" she screamed, waving one hand at the scroll quickly before covering her ears and wincing again.

Blake grabbed the scroll from the floor, nearly dropping it a few times as her hands began to shake. She flipped it over, pressing at the pause button on the screen but not getting any results. "It's not working!" She screamed at Ruby, who had fallen to the ground and began to shake as though she was being electrocuted.

"MAKE IT STOP!" Ruby screamed, then began to writhe in pain as smoke began to pour from her eyes and ears.

Blake turned back to the scroll, trying to delete the audio file, but was only greeted by an error message every time she did. She tried closing the scroll, but a message popped up, saying that the device could not be turned off while there was media playing. Blake let out a curse, trying to force the device closed, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, Ruby's body began to jerk and twitch, her screams only getting louder. Smoke continued to pour from her eyes and ears, and the smell of something burning filled the air. Ruby's back arched, and she began to struggle even harder, twisting her head from side to side and pulling her limbs away from the ground as if trying to break free of invisible restraints.

Blake's struggles against the scroll's continual bursts of garbled static culminated as she threw the scroll against the ground and crushed its screen with the heel of her boot. As soon as she did that, the sound died and Ruby's unconscious form fell back to the ground, spasming a few more times before she stopped. Blake rushed over, kneeling down and turning Ruby's face towards her. The young girl's eyes were ringed with soot, and her hair stood on end. She looked like death, but as Blake pressed her fingers to her throat, she found a weak, yet present pulse.

Blake let out a sigh of relief, then pulled out her own scroll and dialing the Beacon Academy Emergency services. She heard it ring once and then was surprised as another call interrupted hers. She pressed the pick up button, and as the connection came through, she heard one sentence in a voice she had heard only once, and yet knew who it was immediately.

"I hope you are more resilient, Miss Belladonna." Doctor Carter said from the other end of the phone before the line went dead.

* * *

 _Ruby awoke to hushed voices. She sat up immediately, seeing quite a few new faces as well as some familiar ones. She looked around, seeing Ace unconscious, but alive and having his injuries treated by Quentin._

" _Rise and shine, Ruby." A voice she recognized said beside her. Looking up, Pyrrha was looking down at her with a smile. Sitting beside her was a girl in what Ruby guessed was some sort of team's uniform, as it had a black-and-blue theme with a bear stitched onto the front in the same colors. She had black hair, skin about the color of Yatsuhashi's, and a warm, yet smug smile on her face. Ruby thought she remembered the girl from the campfire introductions some time ago, but she didn't have a name to go with the face._

" _Mmm… who's that?" Ruby said, rubbing her eyes and half-pointing, half-waving at the girl beside Pyrrha._

 _The girl in question leaned forwards, extending a hand. "Feng Min." She said, and after the two shook, she patted the log on the other side of herself. "Sit down. You won't wanna miss this."_

" _Miss what?" Ruby asked, looking at Feng as she got up and moved over to sit beside the black-haired girl._

" _Well, something like this doesn't happen often, so I don't blame you for not knowing," Feng said. "But basically, Dwight, Bill, Jake, Claudette, and Meg are all discussing what's going to happen to Cinder."_

 _Ruby looked over, horrified. "What did she do?" She asked. "What's going to happen to her?"_

" _Turns out Cinder's not much of a team player, and she threw Jake to the wolves in his last trial, just so she could escape," Feng said, her smile fading by almost half. "I don't think she's going to get anything too serious, but she could be facing exile from the Campfire." Feng then chuckled humorlessly. "At least, that's what I think she's facing. Jake looked mighty pissed when he came back."_

 _At that, the five survivors that were whispering away from the fire broke their small circle and began to walk back to the fire. "Oh, look, the show's about to start," Feng said, and Ruby shivered in anticipation and fear._

* * *

 **Whooo boy, this took forever to do. I think it was my own general sluggishness, coupled with the trips and traveling I had to do that kept me from actually sitting down and working on this. However, for those times I wasn't doing those, I was eagerly awaiting new information about the two games I'm dying to see in 2019. I'll let you guess what those are.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Anonymoose: To be honest, I've been anticipating Freddy's chapter for a while. I've got some plans, but I need to sort them out first.**

 **InfernoKnightmare: That was a nice idea for a perk, honestly. And you and I think alike. In fact, I've been wondering what a certain bunny-masked killer would think of her…**

 **Hydralightning: Nice idea, but I hoped you like mine as well. But fret not, Ruby's alignment will start to shift soon.**

 **Jeggets: You know, I actually got a really nice idea for the Huntress's chapter from your review. Thanks.**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: I always loved the idea of the hunters becoming the hunted, and I think that Cinder would most definitely feel helpless without any knowledge or experience.**

 **Itharax: Thanks for the kind words! I do, in fact, plan on including other DLC characters, but that'll have to be down the line. And don't worry, you'll start to see the effects of the Entity's feasting soon. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I look forward to writing more.**

 **TM Calypso: I hope you will (or did, if you already read it) enjoy it.**

 **Spartan13047: I hope you enjoyed. I'm in a bit of a twist when it comes to the characters that came out AFTER I released the first few chapters of this, as I want to add them, but I already had a setup plan for how this was going to play out. So, as of right now, that's a definite maybe. But I agree, the Doctor's giggles are pretty funny.**

 **As I said earlier, I've taken a look at two upcoming 2019 games and have gotten a few story ideas, so I don't know how my writing schedule's going to be. I might work on this, I might publish a new story, I might even revamp one of my older concepts that I've kept in the darkness. Who knows? The point is, I'm going to try to be on here more often.**

 **One of the ideas I tossed into this chapter last minute was the Campfire Council, which is a fancy name for the question I asked myself when I started this: What happens when the survivors decide to be dicks to each other? The only reason I haven't mentioned it before now is that I haven't really thought of the system in detail until the many plane rides I've had recently. I hope I'll be able to elaborate on it in future chapters, and I hope you guys will enjoy what I come up with.**

 **Anyways, I'd love to hear from you guys more. Right now, I have a poll (which I haven't checked recently) on my profile asking whether you guys would like longer or more frequent chapters. I'd love to hear your input on that and on this in general. As always, you guys can send in perk ideas for RWBY characters, ideas on teams who face the trials with Ruby, and those who end Ruby's life one of many times.**

 **That Random Demon, signing off!**


	15. Chapter 14: He's Rather Overwhelming

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

* * *

 _A flash, and then he was in the woods, the voice of his Lord still ringing in his head._ " **The fire,"** _It had said._ " **There is an issue that may kill one or more of them, and you will suffer dearly if you do not stop this."** _These words filled him with not fear, as they would for most, but instead with a small amount of pride and a large amount of anger. How_ _dare_ _they disobey the Lord of the Fog, when It had spared them from the suffering they had brought upon themselves and given them a new chance to prove their worth?_

 _A feral growl escaped his lips, which were hidden by the mask upon his face. He stood, feeling the familiar weight of his weapon resting on his belt, along with the tools of his trade. He knew the path well, and had found the fire many a time before the trials he proved himself in on a consistent basis. His feet were heavy, and so was the thundering of his heart, which roared in his ears like the fury of the Hillbilly when he was halfway down a jug of moonshine. He briefly thought back to the deformed chainsaw user, wondering whether he had been proving his worth as well as he used to._

 _He shook his head. 'Never let yourself get stuck in the past,' he mentally chided himself. 'You will only be reminded of a past you willingly left behind.' With that thought in his mind, he grit his teeth and continued, and soon enough, he saw the orange glow of the Campfire appear through the trees. His dark eyes caught sight of another form of a similar stature to his, but the smell of scorched flesh gave away who it was immediately._

" _ **Herman."**_ _His voice was deep, gruff, that of a hard-working man that he had always strived to be. The figure turned, revealing glowing eyes pried open by a device of wires and metal that was attached to his head like the world's most painful helmet. The spiked… weapon (neither bat nor club accurately described the instrument of torture that was the Doctor's preferred weapon) in the hands of the man glinted in the light of the fire, revealing the dried blood caking the spikes. Large wires ran through his dirty and dark skin, the area around where they burst through charred with electrical burns. The once-formal attire of the Doctor was now tattered and ruined, the sleeves torn away and the white coat now splattered with brown, red, and gray flecks of something._

 _The Doctor tilted his head, looking at the new arrival to the fire with confusion. He said something, which was almost impossible to understand because of his lips being forced apart by his headwear. However, the masked man seemed to understand what he was saying, nodding his head before turning to look at the scene before him._

 _It wasn't peaceful, he could say that much, but his sense of a dangerous situation had been dulled significantly since he had arrived in this place. One of the figures, an unfamiliar face with black hair and wearing some kid of school uniform, was struggling against the tight grip the one known as "David" had around her neck and one of her arms. The old one known as "Bill" was trying to restrain her other arm, but it was clear to the two viewing that he wasn't being that successful. The others were either sitting or standing, some distance away from the three fighting against one another. The masked man could tell that the new woman wasn't afraid of those two, and she wasn't fighting them to escape._

 _She was just incredibly pissed._

 _The Doctor turned to the masked man, tilting his head and saying some more unintelligible things. The masked man sighed, then turned to look at the Doctor with a scowl._ " **I** _**will be going in and dealing with this."**_ _he said, drawing The Cleaver from his belt._ " _ **You will be waiting for the next trial to be called. I was sent to deal with this by the Lord, and I will be taking care of this."**_

 _The Doctor frowned as best as he could, then stepped back, gesturing for him to go ahead. The masked man turned, and watched as a ball of fire erupted from the woman's hand and struck "Bill" in the chest, sending the old man stumbling backward and searing a hole in his clothes. He sighed, gripping his Cleaver tighter and stepping into the clearing for the first time in ages. That was his cue to act._

" _ **Enough!"**_ _he roared, his voice loud enough to silence everything else in the clearing. All eyes turned to him, and he held his weapon to his side, a clear sign to all that had experience that he was not here for talk._

 _The bone mask on his face hid his eyes from view, but no one needed to see them to know he was_ glaring _directly at Cinder. He trudged forward, not caring that everyone was giving him a wide berth as he approached, nor that hushed whispers about him had started between those he did not recognize._ " _ **You."**_ _he growled, pointing at the fire-thrower with his index finger._ " _ **You're coming with me."**_

" _Wha-bu-h-" she stammered out, then she glared back. "You don't scare me. And I don't take orders from anyone."_

 _His free hand balled into a fist, and a heavy, angry breath came through the mask before he calmed himself down._ " _ **You don't have a choice."**_ _His voice was laced with hardly-restrained rage as his glare only intensified._

" _Y-yeah, C-Cinder." The scrawny one known as "Dwight" said, doing nothing to hide his fear. "W-what th-th-the T-T-Trapper-r s-s-says g-goes ar-round here."_

" _Shut the hell up, Dwight." 'Cinder' said, glaring at him momentarily. "And I'm not going anywhere. You can't do shit to me that hasn't already been done before."_

 _There was a moment of silence, and then a low, rumbling chuckle came from underneath the mask of bone the Trapper wore. He then raised The Cleaver, running the thumb along the flat of it as he spoke._ " _ **I've seen your type before. You think because you've been through hell, you're prepared for anything that happens. You think you know the worst things life has to offer. But let me tell you something…"**_

 _Faster than she could react, he lunged, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her off of the ground. She looked at his mask as he leaned in, but her beating on his arms and even burning him once did nothing to loosen his grip. He came so close to her face that she could see his eyes through the shadows of his mask. They were white, laced with grey veins, and where the pupil and iris should have been, there was only a blackness filled with anger and deadly intent._

" _ **...all of that is**_ _ **nothing**_ _**compared to what happens on the daily here."**_ _he enunciated every word clearly, and for the briefest second, Cinder thought she saw an incomprehensible, yet monstrous evil in the void behind his eyes._

 _Without warning, he pulled his head back and slammed it into her face, shattering her nose and spraying the front of his mask with blood. He hefted her dazed form onto his shoulder, then turned to face everyone else._ " _ **I hope, for your sake at the very least, that I will not be coming back any time soon."**_ _With those words spoken, he turned and walked back to the edge of the clearing, both him and CInder vanishing into the thick fog and darkness behind the treeline._

* * *

 _Ruby's eyes snapped open as the panic she had felt at the fire returned to her. She sat up so fast that she nearly fell off of the gurney she was laying on, having to correct herself rather quickly to avoid knocking the gurney over and injuring herself on the ground. She shivered, standing up and looking around as only one thought raced through her mind._

' _We're not safe.'_

' _We're not safe.'_

' _We're not safe.'_

 _How long had they known that the killers could come to the fire? Could they just come whenever, or did the Thing controlling them have to send them? Whatever the case was, it broke the little sphere of safety that Ruby had thought that they'd had at the fire, and now Ruby was becoming very nervous. She didn't feel safe, and she doubted she would until she saw the light of day once again._

 _She shivered once more, then looked around again. She was in an abandoned hospital of some kind, with gurneys, medical equipment, and shredded cloth littering the floor. It was a weird sight, because the lights in this place worked somewhat, casting a blue glow across the hallway. She had to blink a few times to get used to the color, being used to nothing but greys and browns and the occasional orange for the spectrum of colors here._

 _Ruby took a step to her left, peering down one hall on the T-junction that the hall she was in made with the others connecting to it. She sighed in relief when she saw that the only things down that way were a generator and a large wooden trunk resting against the wall. She briefly checked over her shoulder, just to make sure that nothing was creeping up on her, and then she walked over to the chest and began to open it._

 _As she rummaged through the scrap metal and trash inside, she cringed as she realized just how much noise she was making. She tried to mitigate the sounds by picking things up and moving them to another place, but every slight scrape of metal on wood seemed as loud as a gunshot, and every small ding made from metal on metal seemed like a gong. Eventually, though, she found something at the bottom she didn't expect._

 _Reaching inside, she pulled out the small, red firecracker and looked at it with confusion. It had no distinct markings, was red all over, and the little paper wrapping around the individual firecrackers themselves was filled with what Ruby guessed to be some kind of flammable powder. Stapled to the back of it was a matchbook bearing no distinctive markings, which contained three matches for lighting the firecracker. Ruby glanced at it, then stuffed it into a pocket, deciding that it might serve as a good distraction when she ended up getting chased._

 _She turned to the generator, prying open the metal casing and digging her hands into the wiring inside. As she worked, she listened for any sounds that seemed out of the ordinary from what she normally heard in these places. Screams began to sound, and Ruby looked over to the direction they had come from to see a still glimpse of Aura where a man was. She didn't know how she could see it, but she was fairly sure that it wasn't that close to her, so she turned back around, focusing on the generator once more._

 _Several more screams, both high and lower in pitch, sounded throughout the course of her work on the generator, though they never seemed to get anywhere relatively close to her. As the generator sputtered to life, she stood, spotting someone turn the corner into the hall she had just came from minutes before. "Hey, where are you going?" she shouted, taking a few steps forward to see where they had gone. The figure had vanished, replaced by silence and a sense of unease as Ruby stared down the hall they had just turned into._

 _Ruby was about to call out again when a sharp, jolting pain in her head caused her to groan in pain and cover her head. The sounds of the hospital were replaced by the hissing of static and the crackles and pops of electricity, and as Ruby blinked to get her now-watering eyes dried, she began to see other things which she hadn't before. Blood splattering the cloth, the gurneys soiled with filth and disease, rot covering the walls, all of these things appeared before her eyes, and as she blinked once more, everything changed._

 _Gone were the rotted walls and blue lights, replaced by eyes made from crackling lightning. The gurneys and cloth became pulsing, organic shapes that wriggled and moved like the pumping of blood. The static in her ears was gone, replaced by a sound Ruby couldn't recognize as her own screaming. Tiny insectoid legs began to shuffle across her skin, and wet, writhing worms seemed to wriggle through the sleeves, neck, and hem of her shirt, and yet nothing was on her at all when she looked._

 _Without thinking, Ruby began to run, thrashing and kicking and flailing to throw all of the invisible insects off of herself. Nothing she did seemed to be working, as whenever she felt one disappear, four more seemed to take its place in the same instant. She twisted and thrashed, feeling like they were going to overwhelm her and cause her to fall when all of a sudden, everything returned to normal._

 _Ruby whirled around, rubbing at her arms vigorously, but nothing was there. The walls were the same color, the things on the floor were back to the way they should be, and no noise filled her ears besides the hum of the lights and the sound of a distant generator. As she looked around, she failed to spot the one thing strange about the hallway: the small layer of static electricity covering the floor that was slowly receding away from her._

* * *

There was a heavy silence permeating the air in the Beacon Academy Medical Ward's lobby. Three people sat in the room, silent and still, ignoring the others around them as if they weren't there, despite being right next to one another. Each one was thinking deeply, about different things, but they all stemmed from the same source: the fourth member and leader of their team, who was currently being resuscitated in the emergency clinic beyond the door to their left.

Weiss Schnee was feeling terrible, that much could be seen from her body language. Her body was turned away from her teammates and her head lowered in shame, her hands laying still on her lap. She felt as though what had happened was somehow her fault. She didn't think of Ruby as anything less than a friend, despite what she may have said aloud to and about the girl. Sure, Ruby was almost two years younger than Weiss, and she was innocent and naive, but Weiss had come to expect and even enjoy that from her. If only she had been a better partner and friend, she kept thinking to herself, if only she had been checking up on Ruby like any teammate should have been doing.

Yang Xiao Long was in a strange state of fury, apprehension, and deep concern. She was leaning back in her chair, arms crossed over her chest, fixated on a point on the wall across the room with eyes that flickered between a burning red and a remorseful lilac. She cared for Ruby like any sister should, trying to check up on her and make her feel better when she felt down. Yang felt as if she had failed her sister in some way, as if she had been one of the reasons why Ruby had been hospitalized so many times this week. She had sworn to herself several times that when Ruby was good enough to leave the Medical Ward, Yang would take her to wherever she wanted to go and talk with her sister over a meal of whatever they wanted.

But, if there was one who felt the worst out of all three of them, it would have to be Blake Belladonna. He head was bowed, black hair falling around her tear-stained face and her bow loosely tied over her cat ears. He elbows rested on her knees, hands clasped in front of her in a rather tight manner. Her back was hunched and away from the chair as if the back of the chair was painful to lean against. A book sat on the armrest of the chair, brought out of habit, but the fact that it laid on the back cover indicated that Blake had not touched it since they had arrived.

Blake had been there, seen everything that had happened. She felt terrible, responsible, to blame for the whole thing. When she had brought Yang into the room and explained what had happened, the Faunus had half-expected Yang to turn and punch her. She felt as though she had said something in the argument, done something to Ruby that had sparked the whole fiasco they were in now. Blake had silently cried for most of the time they had been here, and probably wasn't going to stop for some time.

The heavy silence was broken as the Emergency Clinic door to their right opened, and a man in a white coat stepped into the room, green eyes scanning the three girls' body language. Amber, lilac, and frost-blue eyes locked onto him as he stepped in, the three girls watching him walk to the center of the room. As he turned to them, he looked at each of the three individually before speaking in a

quiet, yet grateful voice, saying what the three of them had been waiting to hear all night: "Miss Rose is going to be alright. She is resting in the other room, and we'll need to do a checkup on her when she wakes up."

The reactions of the three girls were very different from each other.

Weiss's ashamed face split into a small, grateful smile as she straightened up. Her eyes were still full of shame, but a small beacon of hope had begun to shine behind her eyes. Her posture returned to the still, statuesque regality that she always displayed, but her head was bowed low still, as if she was blinking back tears.

Yang let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, leaning forwards and uncrossing her arms to run her fingers through her hair. Yang's eyes began to water, and as she lowered her head to blink them away, her hands came together and began to rub together gently. She sat back up, raising her eyes towards the doctor with a look in her eyes that spoke the obvious question: _Can we see her?_

Blake wiped her eyes, shaking her head as she sat up. She was trying hard not to start sobbing, both out of relief and fear, and her body was shaking as she tried to keep herself from hyperventilating. She was relieved, worried, and scared at the same time, and as she finally got herself under control, she looked over to the other two for the first time in over two hours, as if to finally accept that they weren't blaming her for this.

The man waited for them to settle down before he continued. "However, before you can go see her, I have a few questions to ask about Miss Rose's wellbeing." The three nodded, and he pulled a set of photographs and x-rays from his pocket as he pulled up a chair. He took a moment to look at them all, inspecting them and hesitating before he spoke.

"Has Miss Rose been in a hunting accident recently?" The question was not what WBY was expecting, judging from their confused and concerned faces as they let the question sink in.

Yang was the one to answer the question. "N-no, sir. She hasn't been on any kind of hunting trip in her life, as far as I'm aware."

"Hmmm…" He nodded, then put a photograph on the bottom of the pile. "Is Miss Rose participating in any activity that could have left injuries on her body?"

"No. She's always been a huge advocate for training in her free time, but we always make sure that we don't actually hurt each other, and stop when our Aura is in the red." Weiss replied this time, tilting her head in concern.

"I see…" the man nodded again, sliding another photograph to the bottom of the pile. "Have you seen any kind of change in Miss Rose's behavior in the past several days?"

"...yes…" Blake croaked out, but didn't say anything else as Yang and Weiss looked at her confusedly.

"She has?" Weiss asked, and didn't seem to be satisfied as Blake nodded without looking in her direction.

Yang grabbed Blake by the shoulders, turning the Faunus to face her. Blake tensed up and recoiled from the brawler's touch, and in that moment, all of the anger Yang was feeling vanished as she saw how shaken up Blake's looked about this. "...Sorry," Yang sighed, letting go of Blake and lowering her head. "I didn't know she wasn't acting like herself. I just thought she was stressed out and panicked about the Breach. I know I was, but I…"

"...I didn't know for sure until a few hours ago, either." Blake said quietly, then turned to the doctor. "Why are you asking us this stuff? What's wrong with Ruby?"

The doctor swallowed, as if he had been dreading this moment. He sighed, then extended the hand with all of the photographs and x-rays in them towards the three girls. "We checked out what you said about Ruby, but… she's going through something worse than we thought.

All of the pictures and X-Rays were of different parts do Ruby's body, and they painted a ghastly picture. Several scratches covered Ruby's body in places where none should be, looking like she had been running through the forests outside of Vale. Bruises were the next most common thing, some seeming fresh while some seemed almost a week old. Several of her bones had cracks in them, including several ribs and her femur, where a set of nasty but small stab wounds and a long, flat bruise all the way around her leg were just beginning to heal. Two small, thin slivers of some kind of metal were lodged deep inside Ruby's torso, one just under her collar bone on the left side of her neck and one just below her diaphragm. A small, thin puncture wound just below the hair on the back of her neck was surrounded by a nasty burn almost the size of a small cookie. There were more, so many more wounds and bruises, almost too many to count, and they all could be hidden underneath her clothes.

The silence that hung over the room was thick enough to cut with an ax. There was no sound for several seconds, and no one moved a thing save for their eyes. Even their breathing was silent. The doctor watched as the three girls looked over all of the information that they had just received, then back to him, and then to each other, all silently.

What happened next was a blur of motion almost too fast for a normal human to perceive.

"Gods DAMN IT!" Yang shouted, slamming her palm down on the armrest of her and Weiss's chair. The strength behind the strike shattered the leg of Weiss's chair, dumping the heiress 0nto the floor as Yang shot to her feet and ran for the Emergency Clinic door. Blake's cat ears perked up, and she was on her feet and running after Yang moments later. The door to the Emergency Clinic opened, and Blake, Yang, and the nurse on the other side all impacted with one another and fell, landing in a pile on the floor in the doorway. Weiss rolled, then sat back up, and her and the doctor were both on their feet moments later.

"Oh, Gods! I'm sorry!" Blake said as she stood up and helped up the nurse, Yang climbing to her feet moments later. The nurse looked dazed for a moment, then shook her head and nodded to Blake.

"Sir?" the nurse's voice shook, trembling like a leaf in the wind as she looked down at the clipboard in her hands. "It's about Ruby Rose. There's something… I think you should come see this." The doctor nodded, then gestured for WBY to follow close behind as he walked through the door after the nurse. The three girls looked at one another, worry in all of their eyes, and then walked through the door one by one.

* * *

 _Ruby's heart thundered in her ears alongside the killer's as she sprinted down the twisting hallways, searching for the exit gate. A series of punctures along her right shoulder and collarbone had her clutching her arm, holding the wounds closed as she ran to avoid losing too much blood. She wasn't even sure if he was still behind her, but as long as his heartbeat thundered in her ears, she wasn't going to stop running._

 _As she turned a corner, a crackle of electricity raced across the floor behind her, striking her legs and sending it up her body. She yelped from the sudden jolt, and as she continued to run, she suddenly found herself being swarmed by a crowd of several tall, shadowy figures. Ruby screamed, covering her head with her arms as she ducked into another doorway, jumping into a locker as fast as she could to shield herself from the crowd._

 _She curled up against the back of the locker, curling into a fetal position on the bottom as the locker was surrounded by the figures that had chased her. They pounded on the door, hit the sides, kicked the base, and made Ruby feel sick from the locker's shaking. Their voices said no words, but growled and snarled like the Grimm she was so used to fighting. She gripped her ears, closing her eyes and breathing heavily as she tried to snap herself out of her state of mania._

' _None of this is real, Ruby!' her logical side shouted at her, and she briefly saw it as a small version of herself in her school clothes in her mind's eye. 'It's just the Doctor messing with you! You can fight it!'_

' _Ruby! Don't listen to her!' her emotional, fear-driven side shouted, and she saw that one as a younger version of herself, clad in her old pajamas and with a bright red blanket wrapped around her body. 'If you go out now, you'll die! They'll tear you to pieces, just like everything else here will!'_

' _But if you stay in here for too long, the Doctor will find you and hang you!' her logical side shouted. 'You'll lose another game, and who knows if you'll be the same afterward!'_

' _She's lying!' her emotional side shouted. 'The lockers are a safe place! Nothing can hurt you while you're in here!'_

" _I-I… S-stop it!" Ruby whimpered aloud, shaking her head and cowering in fear. "S-stop s-sh-shouting at-t m-me!"_

' _Ruby.'_ _Some unfamiliar voice of hers said, and suddenly, everything else seemed to vanish. Ruby opened her eyes, seeing herself standing a few feet away, but almost twice her current age. The older Ruby was wearing the clothes that her mother so often wore, but the black-and-red hair, the shimmering silver eyes, and the mechanical sniper-scythe folded up on her back let Ruby know that this was, in fact, herself._

" _Wh-what…?" Ruby was unable to think of any words for a good few seconds as she looked on at the older Ruby. Finally, after a few seconds of hesitation, she mustered up the courage to speak. "Wh-what is this place? Wh-who ar-re you?"_

' _None of what is going on outside the locker is real.'_ _the older Ruby said, turning to face the scared, teenage Ruby._ ' _I am here to help you overcome your fear. I am your courage, your maturity.'_

" _Uh… What's going on?" Ruby said, standing up and looking around. There was nothing around them as they stood on the glassy, reflective liquid that seemed to support their weight without so much as a ripple. The 'sky' was pitch-black, the darkest Ruby had ever seen, but it wasn't the bad kind of darkness. It was… relaxing, like sitting out under the midnight sky and watching the stars. At least, that's how ruby would have described it._

' _Right now, your body is still in the locker.'_ _Ruby's mature self said, approaching Ruby and putting her hands on the girl's shoulders. The teen found herself having to look up into her own face, as older Ruby was at least a head taller than herself, if not more._ ' _In a few moments, Feng will start attempting to open the nearby exit gate, and the Doctor will begin to hunt her down. If he catches her, she will hang, and you will be the last one alive in this place, alone with a monster who has dark intentions.'_

" _No… Ruby said, taking a step back in terror. She could only imagine what kinds of horrible things a man like that could do to someone who wasn't even old enough to drive yet._

' _Yes. He is a vile man, who willingly accepted his fate and came here of his own volition.'_ _Older Ruby said, staring down into her younger self's eyes._ ' _You must save Feng. He is bound under the thumb of the Entity unless no survivors escape. If she lives, he cannot do anything worse than killing you.'_

" _B-but…" Ruby stuttered, looking down as tears came to her eyes. "I-if I l-lose…"_

' _Ruby, does your own life matter more than anyone else's?'_ _her older self asked._ ' _What if it was Yang out there? Or Weiss? Or Blake? Or any one of your friends outside of this place? Would you save them then?'_

 _Ruby blinked, looking up at her older self, ashamed at what she had just suggested. "...You're right." She said, wiping her eyes and erasing her fear from her mind. "Feng is just as important as everyone else I know. I won't let her down."_

' _Then go, Ruby. You don't have much time.'_ _Her older self said, stepping back. Ruby nodded, and as she blinked once more, her older self began to ripple and change. Before she could get a good look at how her older self had changed, though, she found herself back in the locker, standing and facing the door. She grit her teeth, slamming open the door and racing out._

 _It didn't seem to register in her mind that the shadowy figures had vanished, nor did the fact that everything was eerily silent. All that mattered to Ruby was Feng's survival. She raced towards the buzzing sound of the exit gate as the lever was pulled down for the first time, praying that she wasn't too late. Her boots pounded against the wooden floor, making twists, turns, vaults, and jumps without caring about the noise she made._

 _Finally, she made it to an entrance/lobby area that she hadn't seen before, where she heard the second loud klaxon, indicating that Feng was halfway finished. She walked through the double doors, and was hit with a wave of cold as she found that it was… snowing. It was snowing outside of the hospital. That fact baffled Ruby, for whatever reason, as it wasn't that odd at all, considering that she had felt a wide range of temperatures in the trials she had been through._

" _Hey Feng!" Ruby called, jogging up. Feng yelped, whirling around and raised her arms to cover her face. When the ex-ESports champion realized that she wasn't being beaten over the head, she lowered her arms and extended a hand to Ruby. Ruby gripped her hand, and they bumped shoulders, patting each other on the back. This was a bit of a Survivor thing Ruby had picked up on during her time at the trials, a way to greet someone without being too affectionate._

" _You scared the hell out of me, Ruby!" Feng said, laughing as they separated and clutching her chest. "You'd make a terrifying killer, you know."_

" _Please don't say that," Ruby said, her smile fading a little. "I may hunt Grimm and beat up criminals, but I don't like hurting people."_

" _Fair enough." Feng replied, then looked over at Ruby's wounded shoulder. "Oh shit, that looks bad. Want me to get it now?"_

" _Get it once we finish the gate," Ruby said, averting her eyes for a moment as she did. "I'm fine. Can hardly feel it anymore."_

" _That's… not always a good thing, but okay." Feng said, turning back to the large lever and pulling it back down. Ruby got close to her, standing nearby as if guarding the girl. They waited, the klaxon sounding once more before the gate opened, making a horrible shriek as metal ground against brick. Ruby walked forwards, kneeling down as Feng took out a little bit of cloth which she began to wrap the wound with._

 _As Feng worked, Ruby thought about why she showed up. Feng was supposed to be in danger, right? But why, then, was nothing happening? Was all of that just a result of her maddened mind? Was she actually in danger? Just to make sure, Ruby looked over, and nearly messed up the work Feng had just done._

 _Standing not five feet away from them, all smiling like lunatics, were several dozen Doctors. Their skin was charred and scorched, their professional wear covered in blood and grime, and their faces pulled back into excruciating grimaces by their headwear. Some of them carried the weapon Ruby had grown used to seeing him holding, some carried spiked baseball bats, and some carried what appeared to be ripped straight off of a telephone pole, wires wrapped around it and sparking._

" _DOWN!" Ruby shouted, grabbing Feng by the shoulders and shoving her out of the way as several of them went to lunge for the gamer girl. Pain exploded across her back as she fell to the ground, and as Feng recovered, Ruby pushed at one of her legs to spur her onwards._

" _Don't worry about me!" Ruby shouted. "Get out of here while you still can!"_

 _Feng hesitated, then nodded, giving a salute to Ruby as she sprinted off into the fog beyond. Ruby watched her go, noticing that the several Doctors standing over her was now only one. And that Doctor seemed irritated._

" _ **Stuuhid girl."**_ _The Doctor said, turning to her and growling as best as he could._ " _ **Braaherry isuunn gunna keeph her safe fereffer. Anh yuuh arenn gehhing ouhh."**_

" _...D-don't care…" Ruby said, wincing in pain as she tried to speak. "...I g-gave myself up so she c-could live...A-and I'm not g-g-going anywhere as I am n-now…"_

 _The Doctor turned to her, rubbing his hands together as he did. For the second time in three trials, Ruby watched as a whole conspiracy of ravens landed around them one by one, and she had a feeling that she knew what was going to happen. Electricity sparked between his hands as he pulled them apart, and as he kneeled down next to her, he spoke again._

" _ **Yuuh gotthat righh."**_ _was all he said before he grabbed both sides of her head._

 _Pain, unlike anything else she had ever felt, erupted inside of her head. Her body began to shake and writhe almost immediately as she lost all sense of control over her limbs. She shook, quivered, and screamed, but his hands remained firm, holding her head still as she felt electricity flow through her body in jolts and waves. Strangely, though, she wasn't blacking out._

 _Smoke began to pour from her eyes and ears as the electricity grew more intense, and her body stopped thrashing as it seized up. Ruby's eyes rolled up into her head, and she was no longer able to see. The pain was still indescribable, but Ruby slowly began to stop feeling it as she felt her body die. Her nose was filled with the smell of fried flesh, and her entire body was numb, so all she had access to was her sense of hearing, which was currently filled with the sound of electricity and static laughter._

 _Ruby could have sworn, in the seconds before she died, she heard a calm, monotone female voice speak the words, "We hope you enjoyed your stay at Lery's Memorial Institute. Please, have a wonderful evening, and have a safe trip."_

* * *

"Doctor! Her EEG is going haywire again!" One of the male nurses shouted, getting the doctor's attention. He rushed over, checking the readings and cursing.

"Why does this keep happening!" he shouted, throwing his hands up and shaking his head. "She's asleep, but this is showing the brainwaves of an awake and terrified person! What the hell does this even mean?!"

The three other members of team RWBY sat and watched as all of this went on, unsure of how to react. On the one hand, they knew something was wrong with Ruby, and they knew it needed to be fixed. On the other, this wasn't like any of their other issues, where they could just remove the problem by force (granted, they could kill Ruby, but none of them was willing enough to do it), but instead, this was an issue with Ruby's mind, and none of them knew enough about the human brain to figure out how to fix it.

Yang sat beside her sister, gripping the younger girl's hand gently. Her eyes were red, but from crying, not anger. Her body shook with silent sobs, and her blonde hair was more of a mess than it normally was, as she had been sitting here for over an hour at this point. The EEG would suddenly deliver a spike in the brainwave patterns Ruby was giving off, and she would be there to hold her sister still in case she started thrashing. That was what she did for her sister at this point. That was all she could do.

Weiss had made herself busy with fetching the things that the doctor needed, as she had never really liked being in a doctor's office of any kind. They always felt… wrong to her, like everything was too much of a good thing to either impress people or hide something. Regardless of what she felt, she didn't like seeing her partner laying there, asleep, helpless, and hooked up to what seemed like every kind of machine under the sun. And whenever the machines began to act up, Weiss was always filled with regret at what kind of person she had been to the young girl laying in the bed.

Blake sat in one of the chairs against the wall opposite of the machines, her chair aligned perfectly with the bed so she could stare at Ruby's face. The Faunus had calmed down considerably, but her emotions were still in turmoil, which was affecting her mood. She had found herself in the role of answering the questions that the doctor and the nurses asked her about Ruby's condition, and while there were questions she couldn't answer, a lot of the answers she gave seemed helpful.

Ruby's breathing was soft, but as her heart rate and brain waves began to increase, it began to come faster and faster. Ruby's eyes were wrenched shut, face twisted into a grimace of pain, but she didn't move at all other than that. The machines around her beeped and squawked for a few minutes as the doctor and nurses rushed around, taking readings and trying to figure out what they needed to do.

All of a sudden, the lights flickered, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "Oh dammit." The doctor said, then turned to one of the nurses. "Go turn on the backup power in case the lights go down again. We're not going to be able to do this in the dark." The nurse nodded, running off to do just that.

Blake's eyes were drawn away from Ruby as she saw something on the heart rate monitor change. She blinked for a few seconds, realizing that Ruby's heartbeat had returned to normal, despite everything else saying otherwise. She watched the monitor for a few more seconds, before finding herself staring at a blank screen as it shut off.

"Doctor…" she said loudly, pointing to the heart rate monitor's blank screen. The doctor was about to respond, when to his left, another machine to his right shut off. One by one, everyone watched as each machine went dark, until the only thing left on in the room was the EEG. Its screen began to glow, turning a blinding white within a matter of seconds and forcing everyone to look away.

A loud crackle, then an electrical pop sounded, and then the machine went dark. Everyone looked over to see Ruby's eyes snap open, locking onto Blake with a hollowness unfamiliar to those that knew her. Her body began to look different, almost as if they were watching a recording and static had filled the screen. She blinked, took a breath, then she gripped the edges of the bed and began to lift herself out of it.

"Ruby, wait-" Yang said, but stopped as Ruby snapped her gaze over to her sister. The silver-eyed girl raised a hand, pointing at Yang accusingly and glaring. There was a loud crackle, and Yang was thrown backwards against the wall as a blast of electricity surged from Ruby's finger and struck her sister in the chest. Ruby's hand dropped, and she raised her other hand, sending a jolt of electricity into the ceiling lights and flooding the room with sudden darkness as they shattered.

For Yang and Weiss, everything was a dark blur with flashes of electricity lighting up various scenes. For Blake, thanks to her natural night vision, was able to see a little bit more.

Ruby tore the cords out of the EEG, freeing the crown of electrodes from it and leaving them on her head. She lunged for the doctor, tackling him to the ground and grabbing him by the throat. Electricity surged from her body, and the doctor's scream was cut off as a pulse strong enough to overcharge a lightning Dust crystal flooded his body, conducting through the fluids in his body and frying him from the inside out. The doctor fell limp, and Ruby turned to lunge for one of the nurses, who screamed and fell backward.

A hand wrapped around the throat of the nurse, and as the nurse struggled, several small sparks lanced from Ruby's skin into hers. The nurse began to struggle harder, screaming, "Get them off! Get them off!" as she tried to wipe something off of her arms. Ruby let go, grabbing another nurse and raising him over her head. She hurled him towards the door, and he broke through the wood and glass and impacted with the wall on the other side. The third nurse tried to flee, but Ruby grabbed her by the back of the neck and slammed her forehead against the wall, cracking her skull slightly as she impacted with the hard wall. Ruby slammed the nurse's head against the wall twice more, then dropped the body, taking something from her pocket and tossing it in Blake's direction before walking out of the broken door.

As the lights flickered back on, Blake grabbed the thing Ruby had thrown to her from the floor, picking it up and looking at it. It was a small, coffee-and-age stained piece of paper rolled around a glassy chess piece. The chess piece was made of polished glass, but there was some orange, pulsing substance contained within it that unsettled Blake just to look at. The paper had a small message, written in small, dark, scratchy script that Blake didn't recognize.

 _"Welcome to Lery's Memorial Institute, Blake._

 _We hope your stay is as enjoyable as your treatment."_

* * *

 **Does it make me a sick person to say that I enjoyed writing this chapter? Because I did.**

 **Special thanks to Hydralightning for getting me motivated to write this. If he didn't message me to do this, I probably wouldn't be posting this for another month or so.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Hydralightning: I hope you enjoyed this, friend. Thanks for getting me motivated. And no, that's not weird at all.**

 **InfernoKnightmare: I think so as well. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **TM Calypso: Whoa, really? I'm glad you like it that much! I had a similar plan for the Huntress chapters for a while, ever since I read a Huntress fic over on AO3 (the name isn't coming to me) that had a similar concept. I think that territorial things like that really depend on the killers. Somebody like The Pig or The Wraith probably would back off, but I doubt someone like Billy would let someone steal his kills. The omake sounds like a good idea, but I don't think I'll be including it in the main story. I might make some funny side chapters with stuff like this in them if I get around to it. But yeah, Killer Ruby is something that's been requested heavily in this.**

 **Natstateguy: Probably. The Entity seems like the kind of creature who doesn't care if you were born with a power, It's just interested in making something that will serve Its purposes.**

 **Itharax: Thanks for the kind words! And it doesn't seem like the Huntress cares too much about how "young" you are. If you aren't an adult and don't look like one, I think she's fine with you.**

 **Eliza211: Patience. I have plans for this.**

 **RandomName3064: That would be an interesting idea. But how I see the Entity is this: It knows that it doesn't have the manpower to conquer a world directly. So, it selects the strongest and most cruel pawns it can and uses them to slowly get rid of the obstacles in its way. But, I don't think we've seen a direct example of the extent of either Ozpin's or Salem's power. Salem can control Grimm, sure, but what does that mean against a being with the knowledge of many lifetimes, no morals, no inhibitions, and a hunger for hope?**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: She is a coward, just not in the way most would consider it.**

 **DannyPhantom619: Thank you!**

 **So, uh, I don't want to seem like I'm expecting something for writing this, but if anyone has some cover art for this (or any art at all, for that matter) they want to share, feel free to send it through PMs. I've been using the DBD logo with the RWBY colors for a while, but I'd love to see what you guys come up with.**

 **Anyways, I'd love to hear from you guys more. Right now, I have a poll (which I haven't checked recently) on my profile on some other stories I've come up with in the time I was away, which include some games I'm super interested in. I'd love to hear your input on that and on this in general. As always, you guys can send in perk ideas for RWBY characters, ideas on teams who face the trials with Ruby, and those who end Ruby's life one of many times.**

 **That Random Demon, signing off!**


	16. Chapter 15: Mother Knows Best

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

* * *

Ruby awoke in a forest. She began to panic as she realized she was in a similar forest to the one in the Entity's domain, but then her panic subsided as she realized that the woods were awash with the colors of twilight. The young girl looked around, remembering that the Entity's forest never changed from the surreal, terrifying scape of moonlit trees. If she wasn't there, and she wasn't in Beacon… then where was she?

Her elbow bumped against the compact form of Crescent Rose as she stood, and she didn't hesitate to sling it across her back once she noticed it. After all, even if there was nothing to defend herself against, she would need to hunt for food, and what better way than with a gun? At least, this was her reasoning as she placed the gun on her back. After a momentary check of everything she had, she chose a direction and walked, trying to find someplace she recognized.

And so this continued for some time. Ruby couldn't be sure of how long, because despite the forest being lit by the colors of sunset, she couldn't tell which direction the sun was or how far the sun had moved. It felt like about an hour to her, but with no watch and her scroll destroyed, she didn't have any way of knowing how far or for how long she had walked.

Eventually, though, she found herself in a place that was different than the rest of the forest. It was a clearing, with soft, shimmering grass obscuring the soft dirt below. The trees left the clearing with relatively little shade, allowing the twilight sun to cast a warm glow across the clearing. It gave off a rather comforting feeling, as if it's mere existence was able to wash one's worries and fears away. Ruby stepped into it, sighing in relief and bliss as she felt some intangible weight lift off of her soul.

She sat down, pulling Crescent Rose off of her back and sitting it on the ground beside her. For some time, she just sat, enjoying the feeling of peace and tranquility within the air without any worry in the world. Then, she sat up, unfolding Crescent Rose and polishing the blade. She didn't have access to any of her repair equipment at the moment, so she couldn't sharpen the blade, but she could do without it for now. Once she was done polishing and cleaning Crescent Rose (sorry, red cape), she folded it back up and looked around at the edge of the clearing.

After she was sure that her safety was secure, she laid back down and tried to think hard about how she got here. She remembered the horrible day, the argument with Blake, and then… her memory seemed very out of order after that. She remembered pain, then the trial, then Blake frantically trying to get her awake, then more pain, and then being carried, and then… nothing. There was a blank between her being carried and when she woke up, a blank where she may have been asleep or… something else could have happened.

She shook her head, shivering slightly as she banished these thoughts from her mind. Standing up, she began to pace, leaving Crescent Rose on the ground nearby. She needed a plan, she knew that much, but where to start? Looking for food? Setting up a camp? Trying to find her way out? Getting her bearings? She didn't know what to do to even start. 'Some leader I am…' she thought to herself, then sighed, smacking her forehead gently to regain her focus.

'First, I need to climb a tree and find out where I am,' she thought to herself, looking around for a tree that could support her weight. 'Then, if I can find a way out, I'll go as far as I can. If not, then I set up camp and get familiar with my surroundings.'

Her thoughts were interrupted as her eyes landed on a set of red, glowing orbs peering out at her from the dim light within the trees. Her eyes widened, and she lunged for Crescent Rose just as the Alpha Beowulf crossed into the clearing, followed by its pack of Beowulves, which slowly began to surround Ruby. Ruby's eyes scanned their numbers, counting about fifty in total, a number which made her shiver with fear. She couldn't take fifty Grimm on at once! She'd die!

She activated Crescent Rose, unfolding the weapon into it's scythe form and getting into a combat stance. The Grimm roared and hissed, but never got any closer, and Ruby got the distinct feeling that they were planning something. That thought scared Ruby, as she had heard that with age, Grimm became smarter about how they attacked. She watched as the Alpha stood up on its hind legs, fangs bared and ready to roar, and she raised her scythe as if to answer.

And then, a loud gunshot ripped through the air, and the Alpha's head vanished into a spray of bone chips and black ichor.

Ruby and the rest of the Beowolves turned, looking up to where the shot had come from. Standing in a tree, the muzzle of her rifle still smoking, was a figure dressed in clothes that had been patched up several times with furs and scraps of cloth. She wore a thick wolfskin vest with no sleeves over a black shirt and a long skirt made of different dried skins that hung to just below the figures knees, revealing ripped up gray pants underneath. Her hands were wrapped with white cloth up to her elbows, and the remnants of some kind of leather armguards could be seen sewn to them. Her boots were incredibly worn out, the leather faded and wrinkled and dotted with stains, and they came up to just under the jagged hems of her pants. But that's not what caught Ruby's attention.

The first thing that caught her attention was the dirty white cloak around her neck, which was wrapped more like a scarf than a cloak. The hood was pulled back, revealing a wooden mask carved in the visage of a Grimm she'd never seen before (but which looked a lot like a jackrabbit, from its shape) which was also pulled away from the woman's face so that she look down the iron sights of the rifle.

The second thing was the woman's face itself. It was strikingly similar to Ruby's own: same shape, same hair color (minus Ruby's red highlights), same fair skin, same eye color. The figure's hair was longer, though, tied back into a loose ponytail which came down to her shoulders, and she had some small scars across her face and neck which Ruby didn't have.

The figure pulled the stock of the rifle off of her shoulder, leaping off of the tree and landing in the clearing with Ruby. The Grimm immediately backed up, a thing which Ruby had never seen them do before. The figure flicked something on the side of the rifle, causing it to shift into a more melee-oriented form. The stock of the rifle extended a little, folding against the body of the rifle to reveal the head of a broad axe. The grip of the rifle folded in, becoming the shaft of the axe and revealing places along the shaft for her to comfortably grip. The muzzle retracted into the body, and a small spike emerged from the end where it just had entered. It was a rather simple shifting weapon, but it was obviously made some years before Ruby's time, as the mechanics were things she'd only seen in museums, textbooks, and in the hands of older Hunters.

"No…" Ruby muttered, mouth agape as she recognized who her savior was. "B-but you're…" she couldn't form any more words than that as tears filled her eyes and her lip quivered with restrained emotion.

"Stay the hell away from my daughter, you heartless bastards." Summer Rose spat, eyes shining with a power which sent the Grimm running for the trees. The glow faded as Summer turned back to Ruby, and in that moment, the older Huntress was nearly taken off of her feet as Ruby dropped Crescent Rose and threw herself at her mother, giving the older woman one of her standard tight-as-a-vice bear hugs. The older woman was shocked for a moment, and then returned the hug in full force.

"I missed you so much, Mom…" Ruby said before she buried her face into her mother's shoulder and began to sob.

* * *

"Ozpin, hang on," Qrow Branwen said into his scroll as he walked at a swift pace through the streets of Vale. "You mean to tell me that my niece went through some kind of noise-caused seizure, which caused her to fall into what looked like a coma, only to wake up and kick the shit out of the medical staff watching over her before she escaped?"

" _Yes, Qrow,"_ Ozpin said from the other end of the call.

"And you said that several instances like this have happened this week?" Qrow hissed, growing more angry by the second. It was uncommon to see the drunk this angry while he was sober, as only very few things could break his cool and collected demeanor without the help of some strong alcohol.

" _Yes, that is correct,"_ Ozpin was as patient-sounding and monotonous as he always was as he replied.

"And now," Qrow continued, clutching his other hand into a tight fist as he walked. "My niece is missing, since about 3 o'clock this morning? And no one has been able to come up with a possible location for where she could be?"

" _Yes."_ Ozpin replied, then sighed. " _I know this sounds bad, Qrow, but-"_

" _Sounds_ bad?" Qrow became very quiet, but in actuality, he was about ready to march up to Ozpin's office and punch the headmaster of Beacon square in the jaw. "Ozpin, this doesn't sound bad to me. This sounds like a parent's _worst_ _fucking nightmare_ to me! Do you have any idea what Yang must be feeling?! What Taiyang must be feeling?!" He paused, then ducked into an alley so that he didn't draw any attention if he ended up screaming profanities at Ozpin. "You _did_ tell Taiyang about this, right?"

There was a lengthy pause, and that was all Qrow needed to know. "Ozpin, what the HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" he shouted, restraining the urge to crush his scroll in his hand. "You've made some very gods-damned idiotic decisions, but I think this is one of your worst fuckups yet! Are you trying to piss your former students off!?"

" _Qrow, we were going to call him next-"_ Ozpin said, but he didn't get anymore out as Qrow interrupted him.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE CALLED HER FUCKING FATHER FIRST!" Qrow shouted. "For all we know, she could have been kidnapped by the White Fang or some of Salem's cronies and could be halfway to Mistral or wherever they want her by now!"

" _Qrow, listen-"_ Ozpin tried again, but didn't get anywhere.

"NO, YOU LISTEN TO ME!" Qrow was absolutely livid at this point. "You have no idea what the hell is going in, and I know it! I can put up with a lot of your-"

" _QROW!"_ Ozpin shouted, and Qrow went silent. Ozpin took a moment to collect himself, then continued. " _There's a reason I called you first. I have a suspicion of what's causing this, and I needed to talk with you about it."_

"Oz, if you need to talk with me about it, why didn't you start with that?" Qrow sighed, rubbing his forehead.

" _...Are you alone? Have you had anything to drink?"_ Ozpin asked, causing Qrow to raise an eyebrow.

"I want a drink right now, but I haven't had one yet." The raven-haired hunter said, running a hand through his hair to straighten it. "And right now, I'm in an alley in Vale, so I guess not."

Ozpin was quiet for a minute, then he sighed. " _Qrow, I think the Entity has focused its attention back upon our world."_ Ozpin's voice was quiet, almost a whisper, but Qrow could hear the fear in his voice - a fear he felt too.

"Shit…" Qrow's hand fell to his side, eyes closed in pain and fear as he remembered the legends Ozpin had told him about it. "Why, though? I thought it had left us alone after it kept failing. And what does it want with Ruby?"

" _I don't know, Qrow."_ The headmaster sighed, and Qrow could hear him set his glasses down on his desk. " _It is a thing we cannot hope to understand, and I would go insane if I tried to think like it did. But…"_ There were several moments of silence as the raven-haired hunter heard his previous professor try to keep his composure. " _...I believe it wants to turn humanity's greatest power against us. I believe it wants Ruby's power for its own."_

"...Fuck, Oz." Qrow sighed after a moment. "I'll be up in your office in half an hour. If we're going to try and get it to leave us alone again, then I want in. It's made this personal for me." With that, Qrow hung up on Ozpin and stepped out of the alley, moving quickly towards the Bullhead docks.

* * *

"My my, you've lived a wild life so far, Ruby." Summer chuckled as Ruby finished all of her tales and tirades about her life past her mother's disappearance. Tears welled up in the corners of the young girl's eyes for what felt like the hundred and fiftieth time since they had begun to talk (what could she say? She'd always been overly emotional), and she beamed with delight once more.

"It's just how I roll," Ruby said, adopting a line she'd heard her uncle say once. "I just live everything day by day, moment by moment, taking what life gives me and pushing onwards."

"What an ideal to live by…" Summer sighed, smiling a little. Her expression darkened a little as she continued, "It's a shame that I can't live that way anymore."

Before the conversation could take a dark turn, Ruby's stomach decided to let her know that it wanted food in the loudest way possible. Ruby blushed as Summer's eyes turned to her, embarrassed by just how loud her stomach had growled, but Summer didn't seem to mind at all. "You haven't eaten?" Summer asked, suddenly a little shocked and ashamed. "Come with me. My home isn't far, and I have some game I have yet to eat." With that, she grabbed Ruby's hand and took off, pulling her daughter off of her feet and forcing the girl to catch her balance several times.

Ruby had alway prided herself on her agility and speed, even before she unlocked her Semblance. In her early schooling days, she excelled in her physical education classes, and as time went on, her speed, stamina, and natural agility only grew.

Right now, she could see where she got it from.

Summer was faster than pretty much everyone she'd ever met, save for herself when she was using her Semblance and her uncle when her dad tried to take his alcohol away. She would sprint for a short distance, then twist to avoid a tree, and then duck under a tree branch overhead, all without breaking her stride. Her movements were fluid and precise like a gymnast's, but also took no more time nor energy than was necessary to complete them.

It took only a minute to reach the house (though calling it that would be odd, considering that it was also part tent and part treehouse), and Summer let go of Ruby's wrist as she walked over and into the main sheltered part of the assembled structure. Ruby's eyes swept across the structure, taking in the fur-and-cloth canopy hung across several tree branches across the area and the fire pit in the center of the covered area. She noticed the stretched furs of animals sitting by a part of the hut, the firewood piled into a stack by the uncut logs, and the pile of assorted stuff that Ruby guessed she either found in the woods or the bodies of Grimm meals.

Ruby walked over to a spot of dry earth and sat down as Summer came out of the hut with a skinned rabbit in her hand. The older Huntress stuck it on the spit, grabbing some of the firewood and building up a fire rather quickly before sitting down next to Ruby. "I know it's not what you had back at Beacon or with Taiyang, but-" she was interrupted by Ruby putting a hand on her knee.

"It's fine." Ruby reassured her gently. "I love it, mom."

Summer's face faltered, then broke up into a wide smile as she leaned over and hugged her daughter once more. Ruby returned the hug, smiling just as wide but (surprisingly enough) not bursting into tears again. The hug was sustained for only a couple seconds, and then Summer pulled away and stood up.

"What is it?" Ruby asked, standing up and walking after her mother.

"It's nothing." Summer replied, shaking her head. "I just needed to chop some wood for tonight. It's the time of year for storms, it seems, and they are unbearable without some warmth during the night."

"I'll do it." Ruby blurted out, putting a hand on Summer's shoulder to stop her from walking. "Don't worry about it."

"You really don't have to-" Summer tried to say, but was interrupted by Ruby again.

"I'll do it." Ruby said again, and without waiting for an answer, walked over to the woodpile and grabbed a log to cut. Placing it down on the stump nearby, she looked around, spying a large splitting axe and grabbing it. She returned, lining up the head of the axe with the top of the log, before raising it once and swingin down.

The axe sunk into the log with a loud _crack!_ , but Ruby was forced to let go as her hands and arms were jarred by the impact. Summer was by her side in an instant, pulling the axe out of the log and gently reassuring Ruby that she did fine. Ruby flexed her fingers a few times, shaking her hands out as she stepped away to watch her mother.

"You did well for a first try, Ruby." Summer said, lining the axe up in a similar manner to how Ruby did. "However, next time, try to focus on hitting the stump underneath rather than the log itself." Summer pulled back once, gently swinging forward to make sure she was still on target, befores she pulled back completely and swung hard. The axehead went straight through the log, sinking into the stump with a _thunk_ as the two halves of the log fell away from each other.

Summer yanked the axe out of the stump, then turned to Ruby once more. "It's not at all unlike practicing with a weapon," She said. "When you want to strike someone with your scythe, you keep the momentum going throughout the whole swing instead of stopping the momentum once you hit. It's the same principle here."

Ruby took the axe once again, going through the same motions that Summer did and actually breaking the log this time. They went at this for almost an hour, Summer setting up another log and giving Ruby pointers and Ruby taking the words to heart and continuing her attempts. After about an hour, Summer didn't set out another log on the stump, instead moving to collect the firewood haphazardly strew around the stump. "You learn fast," she said, taking some of the wood and putting it on the pile before coming back for more. "Go inside and lay down for a little while. You must be exhausted. I'll get our meal ready, and then I'll come and get you."

Ruby didn't object, walking over to the hut and opening the door. She didn't even take a look around as she spied the bed inside, which was little more than a wooden frame, a sack stuffed with cloth and leaves for a mattress, and a large patchwork quilt, but was still a bed all the same. Ruby ran over and threw herself on it, pulling the blanket over herself and rolling over to get comfortable.

Several things were immediately visible as Ruby stared at the ceiling. There was a bundle of hunting hatchets hanging on a metal nail by the door, a heavy coat thrown onto the floor by the end of the bed, Summer's weapon propped up in the corner, and several other little things Ruby noticed. However, the strangest things to her were the paper-and wood masks piled on a small table by the bed.

The masks were made in the visages of several animals, of large cats, birds of prey, bears, and other animals one might expect to see in the forest. The one sitting at the front of the pile, however, was the only one that looked remotely weathered. It was a rabbit, cracked in some places and slightly ripped with others, with black soot around the eye holes and two rabbit-like teeth sticking out from the bottom. It was obviously the only one handled frequently, and Ruby frowned at this realization. Why would this one, out of all of them, be handled so often?

Then, another thought struck her mind, the last one she could think of before she fell asleep: Where was Summer's rabbit-Grimm mask, and why wasn't it with this pile?

* * *

The room was heavy with the dread and silence all of its occupants felt. Team JNPR sat in shocked, stupefied silence, not believing any of what they just heard. Coco was also shocked, but instead of sitting there with her mouth agape, she was hunched over, sunglasses pulled off and wiping the tears from her eyes. Penny (who had been invited because she was one of Ruby's friends) was… sitting quietly, staring at her hands but not portraying any emotion. Sun and Neptune looked stunned, their confident and cocky demeanors gone and replaced by an uncertainty that didn't look like it belonged on their faces.

"So that's it, then." Jaune croaked out, his voice dry and hoarse. "Ruby's dropped off the grid."

"No way to track her scroll or anything, huh?" Sun said with half hearted hope in his voice.

"Her scroll is destroyed, her locker was found smashed open, and Crescent Rose is missing." Weiss explained, sounding as though she was forcibly suppressing the emotions in her voice. "Even if they put some kind of tracker on Ruby like some hospitals do with their patients, I doubt it survived the initial drain of power that happened."

"So we have nothing to go off of." Coco said, standing up and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Great."

"Go off of?" Ren asked, looking over at her. "Are you planning on trying to find her?"

"Not yet." Coco replied. She looked as though she had something else to say, but Yang suddenly interrupted her.

"I am." She growled. "I don't care if I'm the only one here who's going, but I'm _not_ just going to sit idly by while whatever is going on with my sister plays out. I'm going after her."

"Yang, stop." Ren interrupted. "There might not even be anything to go after. We don't even have a starting point, much less a lead to follow in hopes of finding her."

"So?" Yang retorted, standing up. "I know some people in the city. I bet I can get a couple leads from them and work from there."

"Oh god, don't tell me you're going to him again…" Neptune sighed, and Yang shot a glare at him to shut him up.

"If I may," Penny spoke up, unfazed by every set of eyes in the room turning in her direction, "perhaps we could start with searching through Ruby's belongings. There may be something she left behind that could point towards where she may have gone."

"Penny, we can't just do that." Sun replied. "If there's things she hid from us, then there's probably a reason she did so. Getting involved in whatever it is may put all of us at significant risk, and we might just be better off not getting involved."

"Sun, shut up!" Yang shouted, glaring at him. "This isn't a game! There's things at stake here, and dangerous and illegal shit or not, I'm not letting whatever is using my sister to do what it wants any longer!" With that, Yang stormed off, prompting several others to stand up and chase after her.

Blake was about to stand up and go after her when her scroll buzzed in her pocket. Confused, she pulled it out and opened the screen, reading the message displayed. It was a private message, which wasn't all too uncommon between students, as the school didn't monitor those as much as the school-based private messages (save for requiring them to use their real names and make sure nothing illegal was happening). The thing that made it strange to her, however, was who it was from and what it said.

 _ **Pyrrha_Nikos:**_ _What did she give you?_

Blake turned back to see Pyrrha staring at her, scroll sitting on her lap with her hand over her scroll, which was switched on and face down. "What-" was all Blake could get out before Pyrrha shook her head, putting a finger over her own mouth and tapping the scroll in her lap with her other hand.

Blake looked around the common room, seeing Coco sitting in her seat, talking on her scroll with someone, Penny giving her an odd look with her head quirked to one side, and Nora looking very uncomfortable in her seat, seeming to still be in the process of processing everything she had just heard. Once she was sure she wasn't going to draw looks by being on her scroll, she looked back down and began to type.

 _ **Blake_Belladonna:**_ _What do you mean? Why can't we talk in person? Why do you care what she gave me?_

Blake looked up at Pyrrha as soon as the message was sent, watching her lift her scroll and type. She looked… worried, almost, apprehensive in a way the Faunus had never seen her before. She would type rather fast, then pause, then do something which Blake assumed to be deleting her words, then would repeat the process. Finally, after about a minute, a reply came.

 _ **Pyrrha_Nikos:**_ _Please, just tell me. I can't risk spilling information if what I think is wrong._

Blake looked up to see that Pyrrha had resumed the same position she had before, but now, she was no longer looking at Blake, instead looking at a spot near the door where Yang and everyone else had left. Blake sighed, then tapped at the keys on her scroll, sending a reply back in just a couple of seconds.

 _ **Blake_Belladonna:**_ _It was some weird cryptic note, written on old paper and wrapped around an inexplicably disturbing glass chess piece. Talked about treatment and some institute I can't remember the name of. Why do you need to know?_

 _ **Pyrrha_Nikos:**_ _Do you remember that odd totem that was nailed to my team's door a few nights ago?_

Blake looked up at Pyrrha, surprised at how fast the reply came. It was almost like she had been preparing it as the Faunus sent hers. Blake quickly shot back a reply, then looked up to notice that Nora had her gaze locked on her scroll, typing something out at a million miles a minute. Coco seemed to be messaging back and forth with someone, though much less frequently than with Nora.

 _ **Blake_Belladonna:**_ _I thought you got rid of it. What's so special about it?_

 _ **Pyrrha_Nikos:**_ _There was the note on the back, but when I pulled the note off, a bell clapper wrapped with some kind of sound-dampening rope fell out of it. I kept it, because, I didn't really know what to do with it, so I kept it._

Blake frowned, scrolling back up through the messages to make sure what she just remembered was actually what she said. After affirming it, she scrolled back down, then began to type fast.

 _ **Blake_Belladonna:**_ _Hang on a sec. What does this have to do with the things you were going to explained to me, which you still haven't explained to me? And what does any of this have to do with me?_

For the first time in several minutes, the silence in the room was broken by Pyrrha's regretful sigh. The Mistralian Champion didn't notice all of the eyes in the room focus on her, but it did take her a full minute to begin typing once more. The response was even more slow, coming out another minute and a half later.

 _ **Pyrrha_Nikos:**_ _It's going to sound crazy, I know. In fact, we probably shouldn't be discussing it in a room with other people, but unless you're willing to move, I think this will have to do._

 _ **Pyrrha_Nikos:**_ _It's best if I begin with this: You are in very grave danger. You don't have to believe me, but if you want to keep your wits about you, I suggest you pay attention._

* * *

Ruby's eyes fluttered open to see that the ever-present twilight sun had darkened considerably, leaving the world around her a beautiful dark blue color. She sat up, listening for any movement outside but hearing none. Looking around the small hut, Ruby could see that several things had been taken from it, namely the hatchets, Summer's weapon, and the rabbit mask. 'Did mom go out and leave me to sleep?' she thought to herself, pushing the quilt off of herself and standing up.

Going over to the door, Ruby hesitated for a second, hand reaching for the handle before pulling away slightly. A feeling spread across Ruby's body, one of sudden apprehension, a feeling she could only describe as knowing that everything would irreversibly and suddenly change as soon as she opened the door. She shook herself, steeling her nerves and telling herself that everything was going to be fine. Without any more hesitation, she opened the door, stepping out and slamming it behind her.

The fire and canopy were just as they had been when Ruby had left. Ruby blinked several times, then looked around for something else that just seemed out of place. Her perceptive eyes swept across the clearing, but still, she could find nothing wrong with it. She sighed, shaking her head and turning back around to head inside. However, when she tried to open the door, her hand only met empty air.

She looked up, and then screamed as the rusted, scrap metal shack from her nightmares stood before her.

She backed away, shaking her head and breathing hard. Was she hallucinating? No, she couldn't have been. She hadn't eaten anything all day, and nothing she could smell was in the air. So why was this here? Where did the hut go?

She turned back around to run, but screamed as she saw the canopied clearing now resembled the campfire where she and the other survivors sat. No one was there but her, but that didn't reassure her one bit. She stumbled backwards, away from both the fire and the shack, before turning and beginning to sprint into the woods.

Behind her, all of a sudden, she felt a sudden and overwhelming force begin to follow her. She ran as she heard her mother's voice, though somewhat different-sounding, call out to her. "Ruby!" it called, and as it did, heavy footsteps began to sound from a distance behind her. "Mother wants to talk to you!"

Ruby screamed as a hunting hatchet whizzed by her right ear, flying past her and embedding itself in the bark of a tree a few steps ahead of her. The young girl ducked and made a sharp left, waving through several trees as she heard the thundering steps from behind her grow faster. She ran, shoving through trees and bushes, leaping over roots and ducking under branches as another hatchet nicked her sleeve on its way past.

Ruby ran like her life depended on it as the amalgamation of her mother's voice and another's voice called out to her, sometimes sweetly promising forgiveness, sometimes shouting vile threats and punishments, and sometimes growling in a language Ruby couldn't understand. Despite all of these, her flight did not slow once, and she did not turn back at all to see if it was her mother really following her.

As she made another sharp turn, her foot caught on a rock and she stumbled out of the trees and into flat grass. She lost her footing, falling and rolling down a small hill before she caught herself. Looking back, she could see bits of dirt falling away from under the toes of her shoes, off of the sharp cliff that she had almost fallen off of. She wheezed and cried, and then screamed as a hatchet buried itself into her arm, causing her to lose her grip and slide so that the cliff edge was just under her ribs.

She looked up to see her mother, standing at the treeline with her axe in her hand. Behind her- no, above her- Ruby could see the shape of a seven-foot-tall muscled woman, wearing heavy furs and patchwork clothes and holding a broad axe in the same hand as Summer. The two seemed to be fading in and out, the figure becoming more solid as Summer faded and vice versa. Both of them wore their rabbit masks, Summer wearing the one that resembled a Grimm and the figure wearing the counterpart she had seen on the table.

" **Ruby,"** Summer said, and at the same time, the figure said something in that unrecognizable language. " **Come to mother. I will protect you from the harsh and cruel world. You will be safer with me than with any of those you call friends."**

"N-n-no!" Ruby sobbed, looking down to see the rocks at the bottom of the cliff were a long fall fro where she was now. "Y-you aren't m-my real-l mom! You're j-j-just a… a h-hall-lucination!"

" **I** _ **am**_ **your mother, Ruby."** the two women said, advancing closer at a very slow pace. " **You can either accept that, or you can be punished for your ignorance."**

Ruby pulled away a little bit as the figure and her mother approached, turning her face away and closing her eyes. " **The world out here is cruel, merciless, and there are those who wouldn't hesitate to tear you apart if they so desired."** Summer and the figure said, turning their axes so that the handles faced Ruby. " **I offer to protect you, to save you from this, to love you like a mother would. The master above never needs to know, and you will be safe from everything that may harm you. This is what I offer to you."**

"I…" Ruby paused, stuck between two decisions. She did know how hard it could be to survive in the real world, and she was really tempted by the safety they offered. However, on the other hand, she had friends and family that she would leave behind, and what would it cost for her safety? Her humanity? Her soul?

After about a minute, Ruby's eyes hardened, and she glared up at her mother and the other figure. "Tell your master that it can go find someone else to sacrifice." she spat. "I'm not playing any more of it's games." And with that, Ruby let go, falling away from the edge of the cliff as she closed her eyes and waited to feel the impact.

* * *

 **Okay, so I had several problems with writing this chapter. First, I wrote it all at 3 AM in one night, then woke up unsatisfied and had to rework it. Second, I got distracted SEVERAL times with old stories I wanted to polish up after I found them. Third, the screen on the computer I normally use cracked after I tried to open it on Thanksgiving, and I had to port this to my old, tiny laptop which is a nightmare to work on while I wait for it to get fixed.**

 **So, as forgiveness for taking so long, I present this chapter a day early, along with another story on my profile. You're welcome.**

 **Reviews:**

 **InfernoKnightmare: Please, just call me Demon. And you are (somewhat) corect about that. The process has begun.**

 **TM Calypso: It's Archive of Our Own, but its called AO3 sometimes. And I really do need to watch that, but I don't really have the patience for hour-long streams like I used to. You have given me ideas though.**

 **DannyPhantom619: Didn't get any this time around.**

 **HydraLightning: I appreciate the help.**

 **Eliza211: Did you favorite or follow the story? It sends notifications in different ways for each.**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: ...Is that a perk idea? Sounds like a perk idea.**

 **RandomName3064: They do have a few thousand years under their belts, and you do make a few fair points. However, I have recently found out that the Entity is not only watching the trials, but it IS everything within the locations the trials take place in. Besides, now that some information about the gods of Light and Dark, I have a power level to set the Entity between. But you are right. Neither one would truly die from the Entity, but that doesn't mean they can overcome it completely.**

 **Natstateguy: I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **At this point, with Volume 6 being released, I need to tread carefully. I have canon stuff that I may have fucked up on before, and I'll take the blame for it, but I don't want to mess up on much more. Along with my shitty old computer and the other story I'll be posting, this might not be updated again in December. Sorry about that.**

 **Also, I'd like to amend something I said in the past. I will be ending the killers I accept into this story with #14, that being the Legion. So, Pig, Clown, and Spirit will be in this, but no killers will be accepted after the Legion. This will leave Ruby with 2 trials per killer, leaving me two "interlude days" to work with as I see fit. This is to clear up confusion on who's going to be in this.**

 **Anyways, I'd love to hear from you guys more. Right now, I have a poll (which I haven't checked recently) on my profile on some other stories I've come up with in the time I was away, which include some games I'm super interested in. I'd love to hear your input on that and on this in general. As always, you guys can send in perk ideas for RWBY characters, ideas on teams who face the trials with Ruby, and those who end Ruby's life one of many times. Also, if you have any fan works for me, I'd love to see them (not asking, just interested)!**

 **That Random Demon, signing off!**


	17. Chapter 16: The Huntress' Lullaby

**I do not own RWBY, Dead By Daylight, or any of the characters of either franchise (or other franchises, in Dead By Daylight's case).**

 **Note: I don't speak Russian. I used Google Translate for the Russian in this chapter, so not all of it may translate to what I want it to.**

* * *

 _Ruby should have hit the ground by now, and she knew it._

 _The wind whipped through her hair and across her clothes, causing her red cape to ripple like a flag behind her as she fell. She had opened her eyes long ago, but even with her eyes open, she couldn't see anything, as if she had fallen into a deep and dark cavern at some point. As of this moment, she was facing towards where she presumed the ground was, staring down at it with her arms crossed over her chest and a deep frown on her face._

 _She had been falling for about four minutes, if her count was accurate, and the panic and tension she had felt at first was gone, replaced by a mind-numbing boredom and a sense of dread. The extended time had begun to make her wonder if she had already hit the ground and died, and that this was what dying was like. She doubted that, but given her current circumstance, she couldn't help but wonder._

" _Uuuuugh!" She groaned, flipping her body back so that she was facing towards the direction she fell from. "What is taking so long? Hurry up and let me land already!" She shouted that last part at nothing in particular, but as she went silent, something seemed to have heard her cry of boredom._

 _Ruby grunted in pain as she collided with the side of a tree, bouncing off and plowing through a couple thin branches as she tumbled away. She collided with a thick tree branch as she tumbled, getting the wind knocked out of her as she slid off of that one and knocked her head against another. Several dozen more times, she bounced between the descending tree branches of several pine trees, suffering scrapes and bruises with each hit, before finally coming to land face-first in a puddle of muddy water at the bottom of a particularly tall tree._

 _After several seconds of standing still, Ruby pulled her face from the puddle, spitting a mouthful of leaves, grass, and mud from her mouth as she murmured a promise of serious bodily harm to whatever had caused her to fall into the trees in that way. She shook the twigs out of her hair as she looked up at the rain-soaked forest in front of her, and the knot of dread in her stomach tightened at what she saw._

 _Standing in the distance before her was a huge house, about two stories tall and shrouded by the fog and the rain. She couldn't make much out about it, but the mere presence of it in a place she knew it couldn't be scared her. She backed up a few steps, then turned to run, only to stop at the sight of a large, familiar, soaking wet meathook standing tall about twenty feet in front of her._

 _Ruby's face fell as she realized where she was, her jaw hanging open but not producing any noise for several minutes. Then, all at once, Ruby's face contorted into a look of rage and anguish that looked wrong on her face as her fists clenched tight enough for her nails to draw blood. "OH GODS DAMN IT, YOU MOTHERFFFFFF-" she cut herself off, turning her unspoken expletive into a bellow of rage as she swung her fists wildly around her._

 _After a minute, her fit died down, and she panted heavily as she rested her hands on her knees. She blinked several times, shaking her head as she recovered from the outburst. It was… relieving, to be honest, and she felt better than she could remember feeling while in one of these trials. She straightened up, putting her hands on her hips and smiling wide as she prepared to get to work._

 _Only to shriek and scramble backwards as a hatchet cut through the air an inch in front of her nose._

 _She didn't even take a moment to look back to see where the killer was coming from, just turning and sprinting in the opposite direction the axe had come from. A sound caught her ears, not the heartbeat she normally associated with the killers but a haunting hum that terrified her just as much. In most other situations, a sound like this would have been peaceful, calming, but right at this moment, given the situation at hand, it was haunting, sending a shiver up and down Ruby's body as she ran. Her feet moved almost before her brain reacted as she took a sharp turn to the right and sprinted to avoid another close call with a hatchet blade, the metal and wood tool shattering as it impacted with a tree she had just run past half a second before._

 _Throwing herself over a stacked pile of firewood, the young girl rolled to her hands and knees, choosing a direction and running in the opposite. A snarl interrupted the humming as Ruby wove between the trees, and the familiar sound of the thundering heartbeat came to meet Ruby's ears as the hummed lullaby returned. Ruby's pace only increased as she ran, but she knew that, without her Semblance, she had no chance of beating the killer in the most screwed-up footrace to ever exist._

 _Disappearing into a flash of rose petals, Ruby moved like the wind as her Semblance removed what constraints she had before. She sped over fallen logs, making twists, turns, and other complicated maneuvers before finally coming to a stop once the heartbeat faded. Almost immediately, she screamed in pain as something deep within her body became submerged in what felt like molten lead, dropping to her knees as she clutched at her chest as if trying to dig the feeling out. Her Aura burned like fire as this feeling persisted, causing a lot of her muscles to begin to seize up, and it was all she could do to drag herself over to a nearby locker and crawl inside to recover._

 _Her eyes began to water as she bit her lip in order to prevent herself from screaming at the pain coating her body. The effort succeeded partially, as all that came out was a muffled bellow of pain that was followed by heavy and fast breathing as the pain suddenly began to fade. Her left hand clutched her chest as her right supported her as she sat up, all of the pain dwindling but not fading completely. "No… Semblance… got it…" She wheezed as she shoved the door to the locker open and rolled out onto the ground._

 _Looking up, she noticed something about the back of the locker that she hadn't before. The orange-painted back now had a partial shelf near the top, just above Ruby's eye height if she stood outside of the locker. This shelf had three sets of twin metal pegs underneath it, each one containing a hatchet that looked both rusted and old and freshly polished. Ruby stood, reaching in and grabbing the handle of a hatchet before giving an experimental tug. The tool didn't budge, which was exactly what the girl expected, but still made her nonetheless disappointed._

" _Guess we can't all have what we want," Ruby sighed as she shut the locker doors and turned away. A weapon would have been nice, but it seemed like that privilege was only for the killers to have, which made sense given how things worked here. She sighed, walking off towards a distant flickering light, completely unaware of the rose petals she had left behind from her Semblance beginning to dissolve into a thick, black fog._

* * *

 _ **Blake_Belladonna:**_ _I can't even put into words how insane this all sounds._

 _ **Pyrrha_Nikos:**_ _I know exactly how insane it all sounds, but you have to trust me on this. I wouldn't lie about something like this._

 _ **Blake_Belladonna:**_ _I can't tell if you're lying or not. This is all too insane to be true, but you've gone into so much detail that I doubt you're lying. But seriously? A dream monster that pulls us into murder-dens of its own making that can carry injuries over to the waking world? This sounds like the plot of a horror movie made fifteen years ago._

 _ **Pyrrha_Nikos:**_ _I know. But this is exactly how Ruby explained it to me. I didn't believe what she said at first, but I do now._

Blake sighed, rolling over onto her side and setting her scroll face-down on the bed so she could see her team's dark room. Weiss lay across from her, breathing in and out quietly as she always did when she slept. However, the heiress's face and parts of her body were slick with sweat, and due to the expression of confusion and fear on her sleeping face, Blake would guess that the snow-themed girl was having a nightmare. The sound of loud snoring did not escape the Faunus' hearing either, coming from the blonde brawler who had stormed into the room a few minutes ago, slamming the door and barely clambering into bed before she was passed out.

Blake's eyes trailed from Weiss's face up to the empty bed above the heiress, the one where Ruby would normally sleep. A pang of guilt hit Blake's heart as her eyes settled on the disorganized sheets that Ruby hadn't bothered to tidy up two days ago, back when she was still here, still her. Guilt blossomed into fear as she thought about where Ruby could be at that moment. Dead at the bottom of a cliff, kidnapped by gang members or other terrible groups, shredded to pieces by Grimm, hiding in the city alleys like a homeless person. All of these were possible, given how out of it Ruby had been when Blake had last seen her.

Blake's scroll buzzed, causing the Faunus to look down and flip the device over.

 _ **Pyrrha_Nikos:**_ _Listen. Every single time one of us gets something from one of those fits, we always go into a trial that night. So, I'll make you an offer: If you do get into a trial tonight, you have to listen to and believe what I tell you about it. If you don't, you can kill me tomorrow morning for lying about something this big._

 _ **Blake_Belladonna:**_ _Wait wait wait. How many people have been in on this?_

 _ **Pyrrha_Nikos:**_ _Other than you? Me, Ruby, and one other person we don't know, a girl named Cinder Fall._

 _ **Blake_Belladonna:**_ _...If you're trying to prank me, I'm going to kill you tomorrow._

With that, Blake folded up her scroll, setting it on the nightstand before rolling over and closing her eyes. As she waited to fall asleep, her scroll buzzed twice more, but she ignored them, waiting to read them in the morning. For now, though, she would sleep, and wait to prove Pyrrha wrong tomorrow.

 _Blake hadn't even felt herself drift off before she felt the cold. She shivered, rolling back over without opening her eyes and reaching down to grab at the sheets. Her hands only met thin air, and as she opened her eyes, she nearly screamed as she found herself lying on the forest floor of a place she didn't recognize. She scrambled to her feet, looking around with a look of wild terror in her eyes as she realized that she was not only alone without a weapon, but in a place she didn't know._

 _A glimpse of firelight in the distance was enough to calm Blake down a little, and without hesitation, she began to run towards it. As she ran, she looked over her shoulder as the feeling of being watched surrounded her on all sides, causing her body to shake uncontrollably as she looked back towards the firelight. She closed her eyes as she ran, but the feeling of being watched only grew, the feeling of helplessness joining its sibling at the forefront of her mind. She just had ti make it, once she was at the fire, she would be safe, safe in the light, safe from the fear-_

 _Her foot caught on a root as she crossed into the clearing, sending her tumbling forward a few feet before she fell face first onto the ground. Every occupant of that clearing (which wasn't more than ten people at most) turned their head to look at Blake, who stood up slowly and dusted herself off before looking up to face them. She blinked, then coughed into a hand, then looked out to see who she was talking to._

 _Her first guess was right: there weren't more than ten, there were about seven, not including herself. Three men, four women, all human from what she could see, some with more pale skin, some with far darker skin. Blake recognized only one of them, sitting across the fire from her and giving her a small, sad smile. It was Pyrrha, dressed in casual clothing and with bandages tied around several spots on her arms and torso, all of which were somewhat dirty and soaked with blood._

" _Where am I?" Blake said aloud, not taking her eyes off of Pyrrha. "What's going on?"_

" _You know exactly what's going on." Pyrrha replied calmly, tone almost flat and monotone. "I explained all of it, remember?"_

" _Yeah, but you didn't explain any of this-" Blake gestured to the campfire, then the clearing around them, "-or why I felt like I was being chased here. So spill it."_

 _Just then, the fog parted at another edge of the clearing as a beaten, broken, mangled, yet still very alive body was kicked into the clearing, followed by the sound of someone spitting in the direction of the body before the fog covered the hole in the wooded edge. Three figures rushed over, the dark-skinned woman with glasses snagging a dented tin first-aid kit as she ran._

" _I suggest you sit down, Blake." Pyrrha said, gesturing to her left. "We have a lot to go over."_

* * *

 _Ruby slapped herself across the face several times, shaking her head as she got back to work on the generator. 'That gods-damned lullaby is driving me crazy!' she shouted internally, pounding a fist against the side of the generator out of anger. She picked up where she had left off, twisting two wires together and using a little bit of her sleeve to clean some of the muck off of the gears before she realized that she was humming that damned song again._

 _It had been like this for about ten minutes now. Every single time she would think about looking away from the generator, for whatever reason it may have been for, she would begin to hum the tune of the lullaby she had heard the Huntress sing. Her focus would spiral from there, and before she knew it, she would be practically singing the song aloud and not working on the generator at all. Maybe it was the mist caused by the rain obscuring basically everything beyond ten feet, maybe it was the fact that she somehow knew the whole song, maybe it was the fact that she couldn't seem to find a single person but could always hear them scream in the distance, but it was getting to her in ways she didn't think possible._

 _The click of everything falling into place, the loud sound the generator made as it roared to life, and Ruby was back on her feet, wiping the rain off of her face as she walked towards another generator, which she could just see the light blinking rather quickly for in the distance. She shivered a lot as she walked, wishing so,_ so _much that she had a coat instead of the thin dress, shirt, and cloak she wore. If she ever found a way, she'd find herself a thick coat like the winter coats Weiss had and never let anyone else have it._

 _Shame filled her at that thought. Since when had she become so selfish, so self-centered that she would steal something for herself instead of letting others have or use it? She stopped walking, looking down at her hands as she did. She wasn't a bad person, she wasn't a selfish person, but… well, if she needed something, what was to say she couldn't have it? The other survivors probably had stashes of clothes, tools, flashlights, and other things that they hid from her, so why shouldn't she start her own?_

 _She clenched her fists tight as her face shifted from a saddened, despondent look to a small and devilish smile. She began to walk once more, determination in her steps and a face set in stone. She was going to get out of here, and she'd be damned if anyone else stood in her way. 'Just one more,' Ruby told herself. 'One more generator and I'll be out of here.'_

 _A man screaming in pain scared her out of her thoughts, coming from close by and sounding rather familiar. Ruby stopped, her face going pale with terror as she realized who it was that was screaming. "David!" she shouted, taking off in the direction of the scream. "Hang on! I'm coming!"_

" _Ruby, don't get any clos- AAAHHH!" David was cut off as he screamed in pain once more, followed by a thud as he hit the ground. "Save yourself! It's going to take more than this to keep me down!"_

" _ **Закрой свой рот.**_ " _Another, more feminine voice said, and David grunted as a sound like someone in heavy boots kicking a sack of flour met Ruby's ears._

 _Ruby stopped as David and the Huntress came into view, just in time to witness the blade of her huge axe split his skull down the middle. She let it sit there for a minute as David's body went limp, then put a foot on his shoulder and ripped the axe out. The axe fell twice more, both landing in relatively the same spot in his chest, and then she let go of the handle, looking over at Ruby with a growl._

" _ **Он был очень плохим человеком. Но ты, дитя …"**_ _The Huntress trailed off, slamming a fist into her open palm and tightening her fingers around it._ " _ **... ты был худшим ребенком, которого я когда-либо видел. Плохие дети наказываются за свои проступки, и я буду уверен, что вы никогда этого не забудете."**_ _With that, the Huntress ripped the axe from David's chest, not even drying the blood off of it before she let out a roar and charging at Ruby._

 _Ruby screamed and ran, just narrowly avoiding an axe swipe that surely would have put her down for the count as she turned. "Stay away from me!" Ruby shouted as she ran, but the only response she got was a hatchet that grazed her ear on the way past. She ducked behind a tree to avoid the axe swing that splintered the wood just above her head, and that was reason enough from her just to escape from the chase she was in._

" _ **Вернуться сюда! Вы только продлите свои страдания!"**_ _The Huntress roared, tearing another hatchet from her belt and hurling it at Ruby. The silver-eyed girl screamed as the blade slammed into her shoulder, despite her attempts to dodge, and she grabbed her cloak and pulled it over the wound to staunch the bleeding. The Huntress growled, seemingly stopping for a moment as she watched Ruby run, before shaking her head and taking off after the girl._

 _Ruby's breathing came in short bursts as the cold rain assailed her body, and she had to close her eyes to keep the rain from blinding her. Her shoulder both burned and stung like a wound should, each drop of rain sending daggers of ice throughout the hardly-covered nerves on the wound. Her steps became labored, and more than once, she staggered and almost tripped over her own feet because of the exhaustion and the freezing rain._

 _Unfortunately, due to her concentration on keeping herself moving and standing, she didn't hear the hatchet coming._

 _Rusted metal bit the back of her leg, and Ruby's legs couldn't keep her standing after that. The young girl hit the ground hard, getting the wind knocked out of her as her gut impacted with a tree root. She couldn't move as the Huntress approached her from behind, sucking in shallow breaths as she clutched weakly at her stomach. The girl could do nothing as she was flipped onto her chest with a swift kick to the side, only staring up at the Huntress with tears in her eyes._

" _ **Нет больше игр, девочка."**_ _The Huntress growled, gripping her axe tightly._ " _ **Я накажу тебя позже. Теперь же вы должны спать."**_ _The Huntress flipped the axe around, gripping it so that the blade faced away from Ruby and the flat, metal back of the axe head was aimed for her skull._

 _She couldn't even raise her arm to block before it hit._

* * *

"I told you he wouldn't take it well." Qrow muttered as Ozpin ended the video call with Taiyang Xiao Long. The middle-aged huntsman pulled a flask from his belt and took a sip, clamping his mouth shut to avoid spitting out the burning liquid as he coughed a couple times. He swallowed the liquor in his mouth before taking another sip from the flask, clicking the lid closed once more as he pulled the flask away from his mouth for a second time and putting it away.

Ozpin sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing sweat off of the bridge of his nose. "I knew he would not take it well, I just…" Ozpin trailed off, rubbing under his eyes with his palm as he struggled to find the right words. "...I didn't expect that large of an outburst. I expected him to be a little more civil about things."

"I don't blame him." Qrow replied, leaning forward in his seat beside the headmaster's desk. "You just told him that his daughter broke out of the medical wing of Beacon after killing two people, and now you have no idea where she is. Of course he's distressed." Qrow sighed, hanging his head as he paused, then looking up into Ozpin's eyes as he continued. "In a way, I'd expect he feels like he's losing the last living reminder of Summer, too. Gods knows he took her loss hard when it first happened…"

Ozpin didn't reply, putting his glasses back on and leaning back in his chair with a contemplative look on his face. Qrow glanced over, reminded of just how old the man was in this moment as he stared into the face of the old headmaster. Although his stature and liveliness normally betrayed it, one could see from this close of a distance the bags under his eyes, the creases on his forehead, and the general way his body shifted when he was sitting. His shoulders bowed slightly, as if they had been weighed down by large weights tied to his elbows, and his neck and back didn't exactly straighten out in the correct way. Little things like this were enough to let the perceptive Qrow know that Ozpin, for one of the few times in the years the huntsman had known him, was truly serious about this.

"...Qrow…" Ozpin said, taking a moment to compose himself before he looked over to the huntsman. "...Do you think Ruby's still alive?"

Qrow opened his mouth, but found himself with no words to say. For a very, very long time, Qrow had seen Ozpin as the man with a plan for every situation. The man seemed to have some sort of intuition into the way things worked (Qrow might have called it precognition at some earlier point in his life), and no matter what the circumstances were, he would always astound everyone with his in-the-moment strategizing and genius. But right now, Qrow wasn't looking at that man. He was looking at the Ozpin he had rarely seen before, the one that _didn't_ have a plan or failed to pull off his plan successfully and had paid with the lives of his students or former students. And that, in this moment, scared him more than any man or monster alive.

"...I don't know." The drunk said, shaking his head solemnly as he looked away. "I mean, at this point, we can only hope for the best, right?"

Ozpin simply nodded, looking away from Qrow and out the full-wall window in his office. Qrow followed his gaze, looking out onto the midnight sky over Vale with a look that didn't hold much hope. His eyes scanned across the distant city, then the small amount of the bullhead dock he could see to the right, then across the courtyard far beneath them. His eyes, unbeknownst to him, were drawn towards a series of small shapes that came down and landed on the trees below, though only for a moment as he scanned that entire area with his eyes.

Qrow was about to look away when his eye was caught once more by a lone crow, sitting on a dead branch of one of the old oak trees in the courtyard. The crow didn't seem particularly interested in anything around it, though, as it's head was inclined upwards, eyes pointed towards the tower far above it. Had Qrow not known that it was most definitely a normal crow, he could have sworn that it was staring directly _at_ him. His eyes were fixed on it, and as it shifted further towards the trunk of the tree, he spotted something that gave him just a little bit of both hope and crushing dread.

A single, Dust-powered security camera with a blinking red light.

"Cameras." Qrow said suddenly, startling Ozpin out of his trance as he turned back to Ozpin's computer.

"What was that, Qrow?" Ozpin asked, blinking a couple times to refocus himself.

"Cameras, Oz." Qrow replied, turning to the headmaster and gesturing towards the monitor. "You have cameras all over the building, cameras that are powered by lightning Dust batteries when the power cuts. They're still recording, and my guess is they have been since the power grid forcibly shut off last night."

Ozpin looked at Qrow for a moment, confused, before his eyes widened in realization and he turned back to his computer. He clicked around for a moment, opening his security feed and selecting the recordings that had been taken that morning. "I don't know how you remembered this, Qrow, but you may have just given us a headstart on finding your niece." Ozpin stated, the bold, confident, strategic man that Qrow had always known returning to his post.

"Well…" Qrow said, looking back out the window for the crow he had seen moments before, only to find it completely missing. "...I don't really know. Call it a blinding flash of the obvious, I guess."

"Whatever it was, it came at the right moment." Ozpin stated, finding the cameras located in the hospital wing from about midnight the previous evening. He hit play on the recordings, then made the window fullscreen so that both he and Qrow could see what had happened. Qrow turned back, leaning in beside the headmaster of Beacon so that he could see what happened.

The screen displayed everything in the hall just outside of the room Ruby had been placed in a few hours prior to the recording in several shades of green, a small note in the corner blinking on and off that the Night Vision on the camera was active. Ozpin hit the fast-forward button on the recording, winding it to about an hour later before letting it play normally. The hall didn't change much, save for Weiss Schnee and one of the other nurses walking in and out of the room and going into different doors for things. However, at about 1:13 AM, everything changed.

A loud crash sounded from the small microphone on the camera as the battery switched on on the camera, indicating that the power had been cut off. Several more sounds occured, and then the door to the room Ruby was staying in exploded outwards as one of the nurses was thrown through it, crashing into the other wall and slumping to the floor, presumably unconscious or dead. Ruby herself stepped out moments later, looking down at the nurse on the ground before fishing something out of her pocket and throwing it behind her into the room, before taking off at a brisk walk away from the camera. Ozpin closed that recording and pulled up another, then another, then another as well as he tried to guess which path Ruby would take. She showed up on several cameras, stalking down the halls and taking turns as if she was trying to find some room, but didn't know the layout of the building. Every time she passed through another camera, static would begin to fill the area around her until she left the camera, and then everything would return to normal.

"Is she trying to find a way outside?" Qrow muttered to himself as he watched, leaning forward in confusion and trepidation.

Ozpin continued to open and close different recordings, trying to track her path as best as he could. Eventually, they found her pacing down a hallway when all of a sudden, one of the Beacon Academy security team rounded the corner near the end. Ruby stopped as she saw him, and he stopped as well, reaching for his radio as he spotted her. The officer was forced to draw his taser as she suddenly broke into a sprint towards him, the officer shouting in a terrified manner, " _Stop! Miss, I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't stop!"_ Ruby showed no sign of slowing, and after another verbal command for Ruby to stop, he pressed the trigger on his taser, sending out the two thin conductors into her chest.

Ruby's body jerked, freezing mid-sprint and spasming out as she struggled to remain standing. The officer held down the trigger for a few more seconds, then released it, allowing the cords to go slack and Ruby to collapse. She didn't move for a second, then shifted as if she was going to stand up once more.

And then the feed froze.

"Dammit!" Qrow shouted, restraining himself from slapping Ozpin's computer with his palm. Ozpin sighed, pulling up the camera on the next hall, which had a view of the corner of the previous hall and was where the officer had come from. He matched up the times on the two recordings, and then played the new one, as the old one appeared to be corrupted past that point. When the feed loaded, both of the men drew back in horror because of what they saw.

The officer had been pinned to the wall by a large man dressed in a ratty and dirty imitation of a doctor's uniform, though the colors couldn't be determined through the night vision footage. A set of headgear wrapped around his head, pulling the man's eyes and mouth open in a fashion that was painful to even look at. Large electrical cables snaked through the skin and muscle of the figure's arms, disappearing into the figure's sleeveless coat and into the figure's hands. A nasty-looking spiked baton of some kind hung from his belt, the spikes glinting in the light of the emergency lights.

" _ **Nice try,"**_ the figure slurred, squeezing his hands tighter around the officer's throat. " _ **But now, it's my turn."**_ With that said, the cables in his arms began to crackle and the officer's body began to shake and struggle as bolts of electricity surged through the body of the officer. Dark-colored smoke began to flow from the officer's eyes, mouth, nose, and ears as the voltage increased, before all of a sudden, the officer went slack, his body going limp as the figure pulled away. The figure dropped the officer, then turned towards the camera and began to walk down the hall, causing the camera's feed to glitch and sputter as he got closer.

Several feeds went offline for several minutes then, causing Ozpin and Qrow to curse and begin closing them down. Desperately, they tried to find one camera with another glimpse of the figure, flipping through just about every camera in the building before they came to one camera that was working: the courtyard camera, near the walkway down to the Emerald Forest. There, they saw the figure standing still, head inclined towards the sky as if he was listening for something in the air that the camera didn't pick up. He stood in this pose for so long, Qrow would have thought the screen had frozen if the time wasn't still running. Then, all of a sudden, the figure looked down and walked off on the path, towards the forest.

"Shit." Qrow cursed, standing up and walking over to where his sword, Harbinger, was propped against the wall. "Ironwood and the police would love to see that. I'm going out to find him. I know he knows where Ruby is."

"Qrow!" Ozpin shouted, standing up and approaching the huntsman. "Let the police or Atlas deal with this! This man is dangerous, and I won't have one of my closest friends lay down his life by talking to this psychopath!"

"Oz, stay out of my way." Qrow said, placing Harbinger on his back once more and walking to the elevator. "This bastard's made this personal for me. This isn't about the safety of a student anymore, it's a matter that concerns my niece, me, him, and Harbinger here." He pressed the button on the elevator, then turned back to Ozpin as he stepped inside the opening doors. "I'll give you a warning now: stay out of this and keep everyone else out of this until I get back or this psycho will be the least of your worries."

Ozpin said nothing as the elevator doors between him and Qrow closed.

* * *

 _The first of Ruby's senses to come back was her sense of smell, and immediately, she wished that it was another sense entirely._

 _The pungent smell of death was everywhere. It seeped from the walls of the room, pooled onto the floor, and soaked deep into every other thing in the room. Ruby gagged as the smell assaulted her nose, feeling bile begin to trickle up her throat as she tried so very hard to block her nose. Just a moment later, feeling and minor motor control returned to her body, and the feeling of numbness that unconsciousness provided was replaced by soreness, a throbbing pain in her head, and an unusual rash-like itch around her neck, as well as an almost suffocating pressure pressing down upon it. Ruby blindly reached for the floor, her arm bumping against a wall, which she used to push herself into a more comfortable sitting position._

 _Sight and hearing came back next, the latter returning only moments before the former. She heard a distant fire, realizing that she was no longer cold and shivering, but instead somewhat warm. Rain still fell against the roof of wherever she was, but it sounded distant, muffled, as well as seemingly all noises that would come from outside. When she found the strength to open her eyes, she was met with a dark, wooden room with several entrances but no doors, finding herself sat in what appeared to be some kind of child's play area with a coarse rope tied tightly around her neck. She tugged at it weakly, but the rope only gave her enough room to breathe and swallow, and her fingers closing around the rope necklace only made her lose the ability to do either._

 _Pulling her hands away from her neck, Ruby sighed, her heartbeat coming about twice as fast as it should. She leaned back against the wall, rubbing at a spot on her neck where the rope had already made a rash and thinking about what to do. There was nothing around her that had an edge sharp enough to cut through the rope (hell, there was nothing even remotely harmful in the area, just a lot of toys and a couple of unlit candles), but that didn't mean that she couldn't create something that she could free herself with. She just needed time…_

 _Heavy footsteps striking wood caught Ruby's ears, causing her to jump as she gazed across the room. She quickly feigned unconsciousness as she realized the footsteps were coming in her direction, hoping that she could fool the person out of whatever they planned on doing to her once they saw that she looked to be asleep. While she couldn't see, she could hear very clearly as the footsteps came closer and closer, coming out of one of the doorways on the wall to her right (she guessed it was the middle one, but she couldn't be sure) and stopping in the center of the room._

 _A sound like heavy breathing sounded as the figure stood still, but Ruby did not move once, fearing that her life would be forfeited if she moved now. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she heard the person who had just entered the room slowly stepping towards her, but she forced herself to remain still and prayed that she wouldn't mess up her facade. The steps came closer and closer, but Ruby noticed a change in the weight of the steps, as if the person walking had begun to tread gently in order not to wake her._

 _A hand rested against the back of her head, the intention gentle and comforting but the touch itself rough with callouses and scars. She jumped slightly, but whoever it was that had touched her did not seem to notice, petting her hair gently for a little while before shifting to sit before her. The voice of the Huntress caught Ruby's ears, but instead of the harsh, rough tone she had expected, her voice was soft, songlike, and comforting, though still in the same unrecognizable language she had been speaking in earlier._

" _ **Баю-баюшки-баю,"**_ _The first part of the song came, and Ruby's body began to relax, despite the terror she still felt._ " _ **Не ложися на краю. Придёт серенький волчок, Он ухватит за бочок,"**_ _The song was haunting, yet comforting, and Ruby found that unconsciousness was coming for her once again._ " _ **И утащит во лесок, Под ракитовый кусток."**_ _Ruby's consciousness had begun to fade, but once more, strange, yet melodic words she couldn't understand caught her ears, which had begun to become deaf to the world._ " _ **Не ходи к нам, Не буди нашу Машу."**_ _These were the final things Ruby heard before she passed out once more._

 _Her next awakening came more abruptly than her last, as she jolted up sharply from a confusing nightmare she could not remember. She found herself exactly where she fell asleep, an extra few rope burns on her neck from where the movement of her sleeping body twisted the rope around her exposed skin and rubbed it raw. She sat up once more, determined to figure out the limits of her newfound prison while hopefully avoiding the wrath of the Huntress (who, she quickly deduced, owned the house she was imprisoned in)._

 _She attempted to stand to her full height (around 5'3"), and found that, with a little bit of maneuvering, she could do so without choking herself. Pressing her back against the wall, she felt the small metal loop that attached the coarse rope to the wooden wall pressing into the small of her back. She reasoned, after a little bit of mental math, that she had about two feet of rope to work with, give or take an inch or two. Kneeling back down so that her neck was about level with the metal loop, she crawled forward, trying to determine her maximum reach while bound. Sure enough, at just about the two foot mark, the rope began to choke her, though before she pulled herself back into the range of breathability, she reached an arm out, extending her maximum reach to about four feet long._

 _She pulled back and turned around, looking at the corner behind her. Ignoring all of the childish decorations and all of the toys that were littered around her, she ran her hands up and down the walls, looking for a loose board or a nail that she could possibly pry free. When her hands found a section of the wall where the wood had rotted away, she reached inside with a hand, pawing around with her fingers to see if she could find something that she could use to free herself._

 _The only thing she managed to come out with was a smooth rock that she could fit in the palm of her hand._

 _Frowning, she was about to toss the rock away when she got an idea. Turning back to the small metal loop, she got rather close to it, inspecting the rusted metal ring with the eye of a craftsman. She noted the age of the metal, the lack of bolts on the actual wall itself, how the hook seemed to be attached to the wall, and several other things before she looked down to her rock. She backed up, gripping it with two hands and letting out a deep breath before swinging it into the loop with all of the force she could muster._

 _The loop was weaker than she had expected, but even though it bent almost ninety degrees downwards and cracked, she saw that it still hadn't broken. Looking down at the rock in her hands, she noticed a spiderweb of cracks that had formed across the face of the rock that she had struck with. She sighed, sliding it into her pocket before laying back down and staring off into the darkness._

 _A pang of hunger and exhaustion struck her as she realized that she really shouldn't be here. The trial should have ended, she should be dead, and very shortly, she should be waking up in whatever forest, city, or place the Entity would drop her next, but despite all of this, she was still alive and still in the trial. Something wasn't working right. Someone was holding up the way things worked, and she was sure that something was going to be upset about that. She could only speculate, but right now, she didn't need to worry about that. Right now, she just needed…_

 _She didn't even realize she was asleep until a loud and utterly terrifying sound jolted her awake._

 _From the sky above, outside the room she was in, it sounded as though some impossibly incomprehensible being was tearing apart the very existence of this place itself. Ruby could hear it as clear as day through her palms and the several layers of cloak she pulled around her head, and it seemed to drone on for minutes as the world around her began to shake. Finally, the volume began to lower, and Ruby could hear what sounded like thunder as the sound trailed off._

 _If there was ever a moment that she knew was her cue to leave, this was that moment._

 _Ruby pulled the rock from her pocket once more, swinging the non-cracked end of it into the loop once more. The loop's grip on the rope loosened as it cracked some more, but she guessed that she needed probably one more swing in order to wrench herself free. She raised the rock again, swinging down with a shout and breaking the loop in half. She suddenly fell backwards, letting go of the shattered rock as the rope around her neck suddenly gave her a lot of slack where there was none before._

 _Pushing herself onto her elbows and knees, Ruby tugged at the rope around her neck but found that the knot was still tied tightly. She cursed, then remembered the shards of the rock, which had scratched her hand as she had dropped it. Grabbing one of the larger shards, she sawed at the tight leash of rope around her neck, cutting at the coarse cords with her makeshift blade. As she finally cut through it, she felt a sharp pain in her neck as the rock shard cut across the left side of her neck, but was forced to ignore it as she heard more deafening sounds from the skies outside._

 _She stood, discarding the rock shard and pulling her cloak around her neck to staunch the bleeding. She almost fell over as her feet regained feeling, as she had been sitting on them for some time, but after a few moments, she began to stagger forward, using her hand to steady herself against the wall. She walked towards the door closest to her (the one on her right when she was sitting in the corner), taking a moment to prepare herself before she peered around the corner._

 _She saw light, candlelight and firelight, bathing the walkway above the dining room that made up the first floor of this room in orange light. The table was covered with a red cloth (too thick to be a tablecloth or a blanket, but too thin to be a carpet), and piled on that were the carcasses of deer, bears, rabbits, humans, and all other sorts of animals that had evidently been there for months, if not years. Decorations of a hunter were everywhere, horns mounted on the walls, a massive elk skull over the fireplace, and other bones of animals she couldn't name scattered across the floor. There was blood just about everywhere, some of it dried, and some of it fresh enough to smell._

 _Spying a window on the first floor on the opposite side of the house, she carefully made her way out of the room, finding the stairs and leaning against the banister as she approached it. Blood and grime stuck to the bottom of her boots and squelched with every step, but as much as it made her want to vomit then and there, she held it in. There would be time to feel disgusted by it later, she told herself as she made her way over to the window. Before she vaulted over it, however, she stuck her head out and let her eyes and ears do a little searching for her._

 _It took her a moment to tell the tendrils of the Entity from the trees in the forest. They were massive, about as thick at their widest as a tree and about as long to the first joint, but while the tree's bark was dark and coarse, the tendrils of the Entity had patches of glowing orange flesh, almost as if It was made from embers instead of any sort of skin. The ground was cracked where the tips- which were sharper than anything Ruby had ever seen- dug themselves in, almost as if It was trying to keep a firm grip on the ground itself._

 _Ruby then realized, almost as if smacked across the face by it, that the thunderous booms she had been hearing was actually the Entity_ speaking _to someone._

 _The language was indecipherable, and there was too much of an echo on it to make much out clearly. What she could make out, however, was the bellows of pain that were being given off as each of the Entity's tendrils shifted slightly, the horrible sounds coming from a point she couldn't see to her left. Quickly, realizing her opportunity, she slipped through the window, darting off towards the thick trees beyond the home as she spared a glance back towards her place of previous imprisonment._

 _Several of the Entity's smaller tendrils were suspended from the gaping tear in the sky, gripping the Huntress between them and torturing her like they had nothing better to do. Large, glowing brands that smoked with the awful smell of overcooked flesh covered her body, burning the clothes and mask where they touched. The Huntress screamed and writhed, unable to break free from the hook-like limbs that speared through her hands and ankles but still trying regardless. Ruby gasped, almost stopping in her tracks as she put her hands over her mouth in horror._

 _This was a terrible idea, as Ruby soon found out._

 _Ruby suddenly felt as if the eye of the God of Darkness himself had been cast upon her as the Huntress was roughly released from her suspension, falling several dozen feet to the ground with no effort to try and stop herself. The young girl froze as the Huntress began to stand, broad axe gripped firmly in her hand as the older woman began to run towards her as if possessed._ " _ **Беги, девочка…"**_ _the Huntress called with a weak voice as tears stained her cheeks, and for once, Ruby didn't need to think about what she had said to get the message._

 _And so the chase began again, Ruby winding through the trees, trying to flee, and the Huntress thundering after her, doing her job as best as she could. Ruby's injuries (which had not healed, but were not bleeding profusely anymore) were making it difficult for her to lose the Huntress, as her leg injuries would occasionally cause her to stagger or trip, making stealth nearly impossible. The Huntress, on the other hand, seemed controlled by something she couldn't fight, moving like a puppet after Ruby as she tried to struggle free of the influence of the Entity._

 _One could tell, just by looking at them, that both of them knew how this would end, and both of them were dreading it. Unfortunately for Ruby, however, she was the only one of the two that had the freedom to delay it._

 _The Huntress's body jerked, and then all of a sudden, the movements became natural once more. The rabbit-masked killer reached down to her belt, where the last rusted hatchet in her possession hung upon a leather belt loop, tearing it free and aiming the angle of her throw with just her eyes alone. Once she was sure she had Ruby within a comfortable range, she let the hatchet fly with a strangled bellow, then closed her eyes and lowered her head in resignation, unwilling to watch._

 _The hatchet struck true, colliding directly with Ruby's back and causing the girl to jerk once as she fell. Ruby did not try to crawl away as the Huntress approached from behind, instead closing her eyes and waiting for the pain to come. Tears began to stain her cheeks, hardly visible through the mud and rain that was pelting her, though she knew they were there._

 _A hand gripped Ruby's shoulder tightly, pulling her into a sitting position and keeping her upright. Ruby looked upwards to see that the Huntress was the one holding her upright, and the two sets of teary eyes met, both of them sharing a look of resignation as the Huntress stepped back, broad axe by her side. The Entity's tendrils were surrounding them from above, urging the Huntress on as a hook seemingly materialized from thin air about twelve paces to Ruby's right. The Huntress made no indication that she had noticed it, however, gripping her axe tighter as she stared down at Ruby._

 _Then, to Ruby's surprise, the older woman spoke, not in the language Ruby had expected, but in a very broken version of her own._

" _ **...I…. sorry….."**_ _The Huntress said with difficulty, staring at Ruby with hollow, beady eyes._ " _ **...F-Forgive….me-e…"**_

 _With that, the Huntress drew back horizontally and swung hard towards Ruby._

 _Ruby felt only the pain of the initial strike on her neck, and then everything went numb as her senses lost the ability to sense. She could not see as the Huntress broke down, throwing her axe to the side and collapsing to the ground after the deed was done. She could not hear as the Entity roared with the fury of the Heavens and Hell, drowning out the sobs of the Huntress as Its tendrils descended towards Its unfaithful pawn. She could not feel as her body collapsed to the left, scooped up by the Entity's tendrils as the Huntress was dragged screaming into the void beyond the sky._

 _She didn't even feel as the few tendons keeping her head attached to her neck broke, sending her lifeless head tumbling back towards the ground below._

* * *

 **I originally had something planned to write from Qrow's perspective after the final section in Ruby's perspective, but after I finished, I had to take a break to calm myself down and keep myself from crying. That last bit was hard to write for me, but it was satisfying, too.**

 **I'm at a little bit of an impasse on deciding whether to translate the Huntress's lines into English for you all or not. On one hand, I feel like it might be a little immersion-breaking if I just flat out tell you what she says, but on the other, I feel like it's a little cruel to withhold that information. I'll take a couple days, then update this with the translations if I feel like it.**

 **Reviews:**

 **InfernoKnightmare: This was rather interesting and more than a little fun to read. Thank you for it.**

 **TM Calypso: Thank you for informing me of this. I wasn't aware that the Entity fed on ALL emotions, and so I thought it just ate positive emotions. Though I'm glad you liked it, your comment at the end of the first part made me think of a bug I found in Skyrim, where one of the NPCs was trying to get somewhere but got stuck on the side of a house and just continually walked against it. The last part sounds like another entry in the outtake/bloopers section, which has gotten a bit of interest now that I think about it.**

 **Eliza211: Right now. In all seriousness, though, I'm not sure. These chapters take a long time to write, and I want to make them feel realistic.**

 **Itharax: It's fine that you didn't review on the last chapter. I don't expect reviews, I just enjoy seeing them. I'm glad you liked what I did with Summer and the Huntress, and I hope you like this chapter as well. And as for Kruger, well… do you even know that he's put you to sleep in the movies? And what evidence is there that Ruby's dreaming when she's in the Entity's realm?**

 **Naturalstateguy: The whole thing was a hallucination caused by residual effects of becoming the Doctor and the Entity controlling her mind. The last part was just everything becoming horrifyingly real as the Entity sent the Huntress after her. Sorry, I should have written that better.**

 **Remnant7: Thank you! And who isn't ready for Freddy?**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: I was just thinking in terms of a unique perk based on the characteristics and personality of the character, and you sparked my inspiration. Didn't mean to confuse you.**

 **One last reminder for everyone new: Darkness Among Us will be the last chapter I take into the progression of this story. The Legion will be the last killers I add, and Jeff Johanneson will be the last survivor I add. This is to make sure I don't overstep the rule I set earlier, and also to leave myself a definitive point to take a break and figure out ideas.**

 **Anyways, I'd love to hear from you guys more. I'd love to hear your input on that and on this in general. As always, you guys can send in perk ideas for RWBY characters, ideas on teams who face the trials with Ruby, and those who end Ruby's life one of many times. More than ever, I would stress giving me some perk ideas for RWBY characters (regardless if they're a survivor or not), as I am only human, and I'd like to have who's involved cemented down gameplay-wise before I add anyone new. Also, if you have any fan works for me, I'd love to see them (not asking, just interested)!**

 **That Random Demon, signing off!**


End file.
